University of Virginia Library

The Theatre Scene

Simon Says Laugh—And, Of Course, We All Do

By Steve Wells
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

WASHINGTON - It seems hard
to believe that almost two years
have passed since Nell Simon's
"Plaza Suite" first opened on
Broadway. As most of you know,
Mr. Simon is the best comedy
playwright of the decade and
"Plaza Suite" is one in a long line
of his stage successes, some of the
others being "Come Blow Your
Horn," "Barefoot In The Park,"
and "The Odd Couple."

With the Broadway edition still
going strong, the touring company
reached Washington's National
Theatre last week for what is
certain to be a profitable engagement.
"Plaza Suite" remains a witty
and often uproarious trio of one-sceners.
Like every play Mr. Simon
has written, it provides an evening
of immeasurable pleasure. It's not
quite as funny as "The Odd
Couple," but then few plays are.

Each of the three segments is not
in Suite 719 of New York's famed
Plaza Hotel. Yet each involves
different characters and different
situations.

The curtain raiser, entitled
"Visitor From Mamaroneck," concerns
a couple who return to the
same suite in which they spent their
wedding night to celebrate their
23rd or 24th (there's quite a
discussion over which it is) anniversary.
The wife is in a romantic
mood, but when her husband
arrives, it's clear that he is preoccupied
with his work, among other
things.

Between The Jokes

The piece contains several of Mr.
Simon's brilliant wisecracks. However,
the author has written in a
somewhat serious vein, more so than
he ever has before. We are aware
that the marriage is falling apart
and, between the jokes, there are a
couple of genuinely dramatic
moments.

The second playlet is called
"Visitor From Hollywood" and
deals with a successful film producer
who, on a trip to New York,
calls his sweetheart of seventeen
years before, who is now married
with three children. When the plain
New Jersey housewife enters his
room, he plies her with vodka
stingers in an all-out attempt to
seduce her.

This is the weakest of the three.
The premise simply does not offer
as much opportunity for creative
humor as do the other two. Still,
there's nothing to object to in it
and it does serve as a rather
effective bridge between the two
weightier pieces.

Comic Gem

"Visitor From Forest Hills" is
the third segment and it's a comic
gem about a girl whose wedding is
taking place downstairs. The catch
is that while the seventy dollar an
hour band plays and four hundred
dollars worth of cocktail frankfurters
get cold, the bride has
locked herself in the bathroom and
refuses to come out despite her
parents' frenzied efforts.

Hysterical lunacy is the most
accurate way of describing this
one-acter. The idea itself is worthy
of a laugh or two and what Mr.
Simon has done with it is worth a
thousand more. This playlet is
concrete proof of the author's
comic genius.

Two actors are called upon to
romp through three parts each. In
this production, Howard Keel and
Betty Garrett capably handle the
roles which George C. Scott and
Maureen Stapleton so memorably
created on Broadway.

Mr. Keel portrays the busy
husband, the cinema's Don Juan,
and the angry father of the bride
with virtuoso skill and timing. He
expands the role of the producer
and makes more of it than Mr.
Scott did. In the other two, he's
just a bit less than the originator,
but superb nonetheless.

Miss Garrett does not appear
perfectly suited for her three parts.
As the ignored wife, she doesn't
seem quite scatterbrained enough,
but then I'm judging in comparison
to Miss Stapleton's portrayal of the
character. Miss Garrett does, however,
do justice to that role as well
as those of the seduceable matron
from Tenafly and the nervous
mother who thinks she's having a
heart attack. Really, both mummers
are more than competent.

Continues Through 27th

Robert V. Straus' staging owes
much to the original direction of
Mike Nichols (another genius). It
cannot be faulted. Nor can Oliver
Smith's attractive set design, which,
I was pleased to see, has not been
changed in any way.

All part of another enjoyable
evening with Neil Simon at the
helm. For light comedy, he can't be
beat, even the second time around.
Incidentally, his new play, "Last of
the Red Hot Lovers," opened its
pre-Broadway tryout tour in New
Haven last week and received
unanimously enthusiastic reviews.
It reaches New York later this
month.

But back to D.C. for a reminder
that "Plaza Suite" will continue at
the National through December 27,
giving everyone in this area who
likes to laugh plenty of time to see
it.