The RHS stage was aglow with talent as the RHS theatre department presented Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park.” The three-act full play is about two newlyweds and their incompatibility. According to the theatre website www.samuelfrench.com, “Paul and Corie Bratter are newlyweds in every sense of the word. After a six-day honeymoon, they get a surprise visit from Corie’s loopy mother and decide to play matchmaker during a dinner with their neighbor-in-the-attic Velasco, where everything that can go wrong, does.”
Thankfully nothing went wrong with the production which was once again directed by Mr. Brian Ersalesi. Mr. Ersalesi, who is also the district supervisor of English and Arts, said, “This was a perfect show to showcase the talents of our student-actors. Each one of them has been a proud member of our theatre department for years and it was wonderful to see them take charge with this show.”
The show starred Cayla D’Elia (2019) as free-spirited Corie Bratter. John Soulaine (2019) played her buttoned-down husband Paul. Rounding out the cast was Sadie D. Link (2019) as meddling Mother Banks, Justin Esposito (2019) as bon-vivant Mr. Velasco, and newcomer Jacob Stillson (2021) as the down-to-earth Telephone Man.
Ms. Jennifer Gagis was the stage crew advisor and with the help of talented students Erin DeMayo, Luke Fahmy, Amy Linsalata, Jake Linsalata, and Anthony Moore, who managed to build a charming tiny studio apartment on the RHS stage.
The show was on November 17th and 18th and played to a good-sized audience each night.