The Ensemble Theatre producing Neil Simon? What next, Tempe Little Theatre presents Israel Horovitz? Granted, if you're a cutting edge company, then doing Simon's 1973 homage to Russian author/dramatist Anton Chekhov The Good Doctor gives you some justification. After all, it's Chekhov, right? Even through the kaleidoscope of Neil Simon's brand of one-liners, this is great source material. Simon himself said of this show "The Good Doctor...is not a play at all. There are sketches, vaudeville scenes, if you will, written with my non-consenting collaborator, Anton Chekhov. Not the Chekhov of The Sea Gull and The Three Sisters, but the young man who wrote humorous articles for the newspapers to pay his way through medical school." The ultimate answer lies not in the consideration of depth, though; it comes down to the bottom line of economics. The struggling company needs to sell tickets to keep their home, The Metro Theatre, from going the way of Planet Earth and Playwright's. If you're going to give 'em what they want, at least find the edgiest version of what they want. So think Producer Tim Hart and Director Charles St. Clair. The result of this experiment is mixed.
A writer only known as "Anton" waxes poetic to the audience on the drive to write, and then entertains us with six of his ideas. The six ideas are five of Chekhov's best short stories, including his famous story, "The Sneeze." They are funny in much the same way that Chekhov considered The Cherry Orchard a comedy, because for Russians, tragedy and comedy are inexorably intertwined. Simon's puns and glib one-liners abound, but there's also an undertone of sadness and pain that shades the events being told.
Under the supervision of Mr. St. Clair, the stories are uneven. Some work well, and others are choppy. The ensemble of four men and three women balance the outcome of each of the vignettes. When in the hands of Frank Piciullo as the wistful Narrator and his own father, Rich Skidmore as the hilarious Master Seducer, DeAnna Robbins as the cruel Mistress, Kenny Brodie as the haughty General, or Dona Wood as the sweet aspiring actress, the skits succeed. The problems occur when others take charge of the scene. In Tim Hart's handling of "The Sneeze," his character's pacing becomes erratic, though he is funnier in the role of the drowned man. In a crazy-woman sequence led by Jody McNelis, the comedy falls to a more slapstick level, adding an over-the-top levity to the event that overshadows the depth of the piece. In the end, it's just a bit more than an even split, as four of the six pieces work, while only two don't.
This is theatre on the run, so the design element is bare-essentials. The set is useful, the props basic, and the lighting general. The biggest statements come from costuming, which evokes the period of Chekhov well.
The Good Doctor is a solid show. It may be surprising to see The Ensemble Theatre mounting this production, but one does what one must to continue to offer more cutting edge work.
Production Details:
The Good Doctor by Neil Simon
The Ensemble Theatre
The Metro Theatre, Scottsdale
(480) 874-0806
June 15th - July 1st, 2001