Naturally I love nothing more than a night of community theatre but sometimes just getting to the venue is an accomplishment in and of itself. Such was the case February 13th. Normally it takes me about 30 minutes to drive down to Provo but due to weather and multiple crashes it took me almost 3 hours to get there. I debated many times about throwing in the towel and giving up but I had made a commitment to review the show so I pushed forward. Nevertheless, after such a stressful experience I was ready to be entertained by the folks at Covey Center for the Arts in their new production of Barefoot in the Park. Fortunately for me the drive was well worth it as I was treated to a hilarious night of theatre.

Barefoot in the Park is a play written by Neil Simon that first premiered in 1963. It is also well known for the feature film with Jane Fonda and Robert Redford with Mildred Natwick in a memorable role as the Mother of the story. Previous to Covey’s production I had seen the movie but never seen the play so it was a lot of fun to check this one off of my bucket list.

The plot for this play is simple making it a great fit for the black box at the Covey. It focuses on a newly married couple Corie and Paul who not only come together quickly but chose quote possibly the worst apartment in all of New York. Paul played by Jared Gaskill starts off optimistic but quickly is worn down by the apartment trying to kill him at every turn. Corie played by Laura Herscovici is more of a trooper but the stress it causes for Paul makes her more unhinged as the play progresses. Director Robinne Booth has the role of our beleagured Mother and Mathew DelaFuente and Eric Johnson round out the strong cast.

To be honest comedies with a lot of conflict can be stressful for me but this one leans so much into the physical comedy that the characters are still likable and fun to watch. I particularly admired Gaskill’s gift of physical comedy. He throws his entire body into the role sometimes literally flailing his body onto the ground in hard falls! That actor is going to be sore by the end of this production!

Neil Simon wrote 2 intermissions into this show which allows for little changes to the set (Robert Seely & Spencer Powell.) In the director’s notes Booth says this production is in tribute to her Mother who passed away while she was last performing this play. Costume designer Jessica Moody used Booth’s mother’s clothes for her wardrobe, and they used her Mother’s painting above the mantlepiece of the apartment set. Such touches give the whole production an authentic and warm feel amongst all the fighting.

It is terrific planning by The Covey to plan Barefoot in the Park to open Valentines weekend. This funny show about marriage would be a perfect choice for date night or just for anyone who wants a good laugh. It is playing through March 8th and tickets can be purchased here.

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