STAGE REVIEW : ‘The Boys Next Door’ Is a High-Minded Effort That Fails

Jack, the narrator in Tom Griffin’s “The Boys Next Door,” sums up the purpose of the comedy/drama in one short sentence: “I am here to remind the species of the species.”

“The Boys Next Door,” a play about the problems of four developmentally disabled roommates, certainly qualifies as a reminder to audiences of the existence of people with mental handicaps. The play’s strength as theatre is another matter.

The play chronicles the escapades of four wards of the state, as seen through the eyes of their civil servant supervisor Jack (Ronald B. Lang), who serves as narrator between vignettes. These five major characters live together in a state-funded apartment, and each faces a major dilemma during the two hour production. Jack is questioning whether or not he wants to remain as supervisor. Lucien P. Smith (Damon Bryant) must stand before the state senate to justify his continued need of government aid. Norman Bulansky (Robert Smyth) must decide between his love for doughnuts--which keep him overweight--and his affection for Sheila (Deborah Gilmour Smyth), who wants him to be thinner. Barry Klemper (Rick Meads) struggles with the prospect of seeing his father for the first time in nine years. And Arnold Wiggins (Mark Howen) continues in his struggle against paranoid schizophrenia.

Each individual trauma holds some interest, but these separate situations are too self-contained. Playwright Griffin failed to interlock the various personal crises. The end result is a drama which is far less than the sum of its parts.

Despite these structural flaws, director Kerry Meads skillfully handled the individual storylines. The production moves along at a brisk pace, the comic moments drew loud peals of laughter from the opening night audience Friday, and Meads staged some excellent dramatic moments when the play took an occasional serious turn.

The production’s high point came at the end of Act I, when disabled characters Norman and Sheila dance together at a weekly gathering. In the midst of their dance, the two fall under the music’s trance and forget their handicaps. As the stage lights shift to indicate an altered reality, their stilted, awkward movements suddenly transform into graceful dance steps. The message is clear: Norman and Sheila don’t see one another as “disabled;” they view each other with generous, loving eyes, and the lights fade to black upon this touching image.

The power of that moment hinted at great things to follow in Act II, but they didn’t arrive. The production lost momentum as it moved toward final scenes, which ultimately seem truncated.

Lamb’s Players Producing Artistic Director Robert Smyth’s performance was the most successful; he defined the retarded Norman Bulansky with an eye for detail. To portray a handicapped person is a difficult task for an actor, easily leading to gross caricaturization. But Smyth avoided this trap by justifying Bulansky’s every emotion and action honestly and believably. Smyth’s precise sense of comic timing only added to his effort.

Damon Bryant also did some excellent work as the severely handicapped Lucien P. Smith, a character disabled to the point where talking is a struggle. With just a look or gesture, or even a broken stuttering phrase, Bryant communicated volumes.

The other eight performances are competent, but decidely less compelling. Rick Meads’ portrayal of the disabled Barry Klemper is plausible, but too understated and monotonal. Similarly, Mark Howen’s manic depiction of Arnold Wiggins suffers from a lack of range, not to mention some incredibly silly lines. Deborah Gilmour Smyth’s portrayal of Shiela, who has Down’s syndrome, comes across as somewhat caricatured.

In the featured role of Jack, Lang is eminently believable on stage. The actor speaks directly and with conversational ease to the audience throughout the production. Too much ease, perhaps; at several points, driven to distraction by the troubles of his disabled roommates, Jack seems like he should explode, but Lang keeps the lid on his character’s anger.

The production’s design serves “The Boys Next Door” well. Mike Buckley’s bland, brown-and-tan interiors reek--appropriately--of government-funded housing. Nathan Peirson’s lighting demarcates a dozen or more different acting spaces on stage, a necessary function for a script which jumps quickly from location to location.

Veronica Murphy Smyth’s costumes also hit the mark, with one glaring exception. She costumed the disabled Arnold Wiggins in cartoonish outfits, complete with pants shrunk short, horribly loud ensembles and colored socks with shorts. The costumes for Arnold belonged in a “Revenge of the Nerds” sequel, not a stage drama which delves into the legitimate problems of the mentally handicapped.

“THE BOYS NEXT DOOR”

Written by Tom Griffin. Directed by Kerry Meads. Scenic design by Mike Buckley. Lighting design by Nathan Peirson. Costume design by Veronica Murphy Smyth. Stage manager is Jerry Reynolds. With Mark Howen, Damon Bryant, Robert Smyth, Rick Meads, Ronald B. Lang, Deborah Gilmour Smyth, Ron Schervbacov, David Cochran Heath and Veronica Murphy Smyth. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Through May 25. Tickets $14-$18. At 500 Plaza Blvd., National City, 474-4542.