by Maya Abou-Rizk
Antique furniture and perfectly-styled decor fill a humble house and set the stage to take the audience to 1937 Brooklyn, where a young boy narrates his adolescent years as an American Jew.
Theatre Ink proudly presents Brighton Beach Memoirs, a humorous and compelling play, by Neil Simon. Directed by seniors Peter Diamond and Elena Rodriguez, the play will run tonight through Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium.
Eugene Jerome, played by freshman Evyatar Gershon, talks the audience through a hard time period of his life. He grows up during the Great Depression with the dream of playing major league baseball. At times, Eugene is humorously blunt, exposing the true and relatable troubles the family goes through.
Eugene, wearing both adorable and realistic clothing, begins the show with a very childish and humorous act. Eugene conveys his personality through his humor, helping the audience see the story through his perspective.
When Eugene’s cousin Nora, played by junior Amanda Kuo, enters the stage, her dramatic aura is felt throughout the audience. Nora’s mother and sister live with Eugene because of the death of her father, six years prior. As Eugene’s love for Nora becomes more evident, the audience relates to his eagerness.
The two families living in the same, small household have social and economic troubles throughout the play. However, audience members live through the problems alongside the family, reflecting on themselves as individuals in their own families and communities.
The costumes were incredibly accurate to the time period, reinforcing the personalities of the characters and bringing an extra bit of perfection to the show as a whole.
The show is unbelievable, memorable, and extremely well-done. It is a must-see. You will not want to miss listening to little Eugene Jerome vocalize his memoir so that if he happens to grow up “all crazy,” you will know why.
Tickets are $7, sold at theatreink.net and all lunches.