Penn State Centre Stage presented Neil Simon’s THE GOOD DOCTOR this week and if there ever was a show to delight the theater lover, this is it. Of course with Neil Simon and Anton Chekov given credit as the authors, one would expect the dialogue to be witty and sharp.
The “good doctor” of the title refers to Chekov. As a medical student, Chekov wrote humorous short stories, articles, and comic sketches; today he is better known for his serious plays. Neil Simon has taken some of his lighter works and turned them into an evening of one-act-plays.
Eight different plays give the cast of seven a chance to show quite a range in talents. With the help of good wigs, make-up, and costumes each actor was instantly in character.
Erik Raymond Johnson was the one constant in the show. As “The Writer” he acted as narrator and kept things moving along; he even gave an alternate ending to several stories.
One of the treats for a lover of the theater is to watch an actor assume a variety of roles. This collection of plays provided a perfect opportunity for the actors to do this and they did it well.
Lance Beilstein was heavily in make-up as older gentlemen and not always recognizable most of the time, but he was a stand-out in The Seduction where he explained that he was an expert at seducing other men’s wives.
I really thought that Carrie McNulty was an older actress in her scene as the employer cheating her governess; she went on to be the hardened prostitute and the young actress at her first audition. The Audition was particularly well done except that Ms McNutly spoke so softly in one spot, causing some lines to be lost.
At times showing a great sense of physical comedy, Thomas Ellis Riley, Kira Lance Hawkins, Josephine Wilson, and Zack Sudbury were outstanding.
As always, Penn State Centre Stage did an impressive job. Credit goes to Robert W. Schneider for directing a smooth, fast paced show. Scenic Designer, Lino Toyos, and Costume Designer, Adam Coffia, made it a beautiful comedy.
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