By Carol Davis
SAN DIEGO–Donald Margulies’ Brooklyn Boy is one of my favorite plays by one of my favorite playwrights. First seen at The South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa in its premiere production in 2004, Margulies was approaching his 50th year; a time for self-reflection. His other works include Dinner With Friends, Sight Unseen, What’s Wrong With This Picture?, Loman Family Picnic and Collected Stories.
Familiar themes run through his works. Most notable are when his characters, those in the art world, face ethical questions regarding the high price they pay for compromising their own standards to meet society’s needs. Such was the case in Collected Stories, and such is the case in this play.
Brooklyn Boy, now in a solid production at Scripps Ranch Theatre is the story of a ‘now’ successful writer, Eric Weiss, who has made it big with his new best selling book, Brooklyn Boy. It is a semi autobiographical spin on his life. A time for pats on the back would be welcomed. But Eric has problems. His last two novels were bombs and he could never have a conversation with his father without being criticized, poked at cynically or simply put off. He is on his way to visiting his Dad to tell about his new book. That said, his homecoming (after leaving behind his Jewish roots and all connected to them following high school graduation) takes him on a much-needed journey for a morality and mortality check, but he doesn’t know it yet.
Eric Weiss (Chris O’Bryon) hated his Brooklyn beginnings. He proudly boasted, upon his return to his once school chum, the very Jewish Ira Zimmer (Fred Harlow is perfect as Ricky’s blast into the past) that he never stepped into a synagogue after his Bar Mitzvah. In fact, he also resented that his father, Manny Weiss (an acerbic Paul Bourque), who was a shoe salesman and never elevated himself beyond that. He couldn’t wait to get out of Sheepshead Bay and away from Brooklyn. This we know. But there were other secrets in Eric’s world. His marriage to writer, Nina (Amanda Cooley Davis is drained of all emotion for him) was on the rocks and he didn’t have the guts to tell his father that not only were there no children in their future, but there was no them in their future.
When he does return to Brooklyn, Maimonides Hospital to be exact, to visit his terminally ill father to tell him of the success of his placing 11th on the New York Times Best Selling List, and that his book was being considered for a movie, his past, his present and his future collide. In six separate scenes, Eric Weiss faces humility with his father, futility with his ex, and exasperation with his movie deal. His coming of age and reconciliation with his religious roots after an encounter with his childhood buddy and the death of his father is an eye opener and possibly an answer to that age-old question, “Can we ever go home again?” In what should have been one of the happiest and proudest times of his life, Eric Weiss comes to grips with his roots and himself.
Chris O’Bryon comes across as thoroughly credible as the torn and agonized Eric whose dreams are shattered before our eyes. The colorful cast of characters in his past and present include not just his Dad, Manny nor his soon to be ex-wife Nina, nor his childhood buddy Ira, but also Melanie Fine (Wendy Wadell is wonderfully obnoxious), the Hollywood agent working on the movie script of his book, and the young fan he invites up to his room, Alison (Charlene Koepf). Tyler Shaw (Adam Daniel) the handsome actor destined to play Eric Weiss in the movie version of Brooklyn Boy is an added attraction that about puts him over the top. All are constant reminders of how far he’s traveled out of his comfort zone.
Director Ruff Yeager keeps the focus on the young Weiss as his journey weaves through a series of highs and lows bringing out both the comic aspects of the play as well as the poignant ones. His set design, a series of bookcases stretched across the back of the theatre, loaded with books, trinkets and lamps, that make way for the scene changes and changing locations is somewhat distracting and bulky at first, but we soon learn to take it in stride. Mitchell Simkovsky’s lighting design is perfect and Debbie Sullivan’s contemporary costumes work just fine.
Scripps Theatre has never disappointed and Brooklyn Boy, that has been done all to seldom, is well worth thee trip to Scripps Ranch Theatre. If you are a soft touch like yours truly, bring tissues.
See you at the theatre.
Dates: through Feb.19th
Organization: Scripps Ranch Theatre
Phone: 858-578-7728
Production Type: Comedy/Drama
Where: 10455 Pomerado Road, Scripps Ranch
Ticket Prices: $25.00
Web: scrippsranchtheatre.ors
Venue: Legler Benbough Theatre
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Davis is a San Diego-based theatre critic who may be contacted at carol.davis@sdjewishworld.com