PROVO — Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park has long been a cherished classic in American theater, celebrated for its sharp wit, endearing characters, and heartwarming exploration of love and compromise. The Covey Center for the Arts’ latest production of this beloved romantic comedy captures the magic of Simon’s work with charm, humor, and an undeniable sense of warmth, despite the on-stage snow.
The intimate black box brings audience members directly into the studio apartment of Paul and Corie Bratter which causes so much consternation throughout the play. Director Robinne Booth, who dedicated the show to the memory of her mother, made no bones about direct audience involvement. In scene transitions which included moving in furniture pieces, actors would sit next to the audience, hand them coats, and engage in light banter.
Often characters would make side eyes breaking the fourth wall, which was a little distracting, but hard to avoid in close quarters. Overall, this playfulness served the story well as Barefoot in the Park is intended to lean into the ridiculous.
The play opens with newly married Corie gabbing with the telephone man about the joys of her weeklong honeymoon with her lawyer husband Paul. Neither the telephone man, nor anyone else who will enter the apartment is enamored with it’s tiny space, lack of furnishings, broken skylight, kooky neighbors or six flights of stairs it takes to reach the top.
Corie, played by Laura Herscovici, is bright eyed and animated throughout the show. Corie rides one impulsive thought to the next and Herscovici was able to harness some of that wild energy in her performance. Herscovici started a hair slow allowing pregnant pauses between thoughts, but by the time she picked up a full head of steam, she had Corie whipped in to a hilarious frenzy that was as physically fun as it was emotionally heightened.
The success of Barefoot in the Park hinges heavily on the chemistry between its leads, and the Covey Center’s production does not disappoint. Jared Gaskill as Paul played opposite Herscovici as Corie and together they exude a palpable energy that makes their relationship feel authentic and relatable. Paul, the buttoned-up, straight-laced lawyer, is played with impeccable comedic timing and earnest sincerity. Gaskill’s exasperation at Corie’s free-spirited antics never feels forced but instead offers a delightful contrast that drives much of the play’s humor and heart. Notably, Gaskill’s performance was the strongest of the night, bringing stability and heightened pacing to the show as soon as he stepped on stage.One of my favorite moments is when he opts to sleep on the couch after a major fight with Corie, he mutters relentlessly while tossing and turning and being covered in snow.
Eric Johnson plays the eclectic neighbor Victor Velasco, and the strength of his performance was in his physicality. He waltzed through the room with charm, and was hilarious to watch. The one aspect of his character that didn’t land was his accent. Johnson played Velasco, described in the play as a Hungarian man, with an odd French accent from start to finish. The accent would have been an in-character and amusing choice for a time, but it was odd and was a directing call that felt like it blocked him as an actor throughout the night.
Booth, who also filled the role of Corie’s high strung mother, Ethel. Booth was endearing and empathetic in the role. It played nicely as it allowed Corie to seem more unhinged in her assumption of the worst of her mother’s intentions.
The only question I had in her portrayal was the amount of drinking she did. For a character who is not quite a teetotaler, but who indicates she doesn’t drink much, downs four martinis before going out to dinner. It was another choice that was fun, but didn’t totally land with the story.
The scenic design from Robert Seely and Spencer Powell was excellent for the space. All of the requisite elements for the story were utilized in the cozy venue, and it was a nice touch that I wouldn’t have thought possible to have snow fall out of the skylight onto the face of the sleeping Paul.
The costume, hair and makeup design from Jessica Moody was excellent as well. It felt period appropriate without feeling dated, and her makeup succeeded to highlighted the nice features of the actors without feeling overdone in the close quarters.
I was overall impressed with the show. It kept me laughing, and the highest stakes scenes involving Corie and Paul were all high level entertainment. There’s a careful line to ride between the absurd and the aggressive in their banter and fighting, and Booth’s direction helped them find that balance nicely. This was a fun rendition of a comedic classic and Covey Center crushes it with Barefoot in the Park.
