The Yeshiva College Dramatics Society (YCDS), under the skilled direction of Lin Snider, continuously puts on exciting and ambitious productions that pushes the actors in their craft and challenges the audience to open their minds to theater. This semester’s production of The Boys Next Door was no different; in fact, it was even more impressive because of the challenging content.
The Boys Next Door, a play written by Tom Griffin, follows four mentally disabled men as they navigate daily challenges and human interactions. The actors were tasked with delving into the minds of the mentally disabled and conveying the lives of these men as they live an ordinary life with a mental disability.
The first man we encounter is Arnold Wiggins, played by first-time actor Eliyahu Raskin. Arnold, a man with major anxiety issues, rushes onto stage in a whirlwind of action. Arnold’s anxiety seeps into his every thought, gesture, and conversation. Raskin flawlessly depicted his character, never slowing down or staying still on stage even for a moment, conveying the perfect neurotic energy. The character jumps to irrational yet hilarious conclusions, propelling the show forward with humor and a train to Russia.
Next came the ever-lovable, low functioning Lucien P. Smith, as he was so fond of reminding the audience via his green library card. Another first-time actor, Ben Kohane, portrayed a personification of Lucien that was both heartwarming and heartbreaking.
The men were soon joined by their aide, and voice of reason, Jack Palmer, played by Jack Turell. Turell, a second semester actor, is challenged with the task of being the only consistent “normal” character on stage. Turell’s somewhat stiff depiction of his character highlighted the strain he was put under while constantly looking after these men. He is charged with keeping an eye on seventeen people, although we only meet five of them. Jack also offered glimpses into the minds of the characters, but from an outside perspective. In the end, Jack was worn out and had to find a new job, which caused Norman to throw donuts, Lucien to yell about the trees, and Arnold to attempt to catch a train to Moscow. The men accurately and powerfully portrayed the bonds that are formed between the mentally disabled and their caregiver.
Norman Bulansky, or the Donut Man, is played by first semester actor Judah Gavant. Gavant, in perhaps the most impressive performance of the show, illustrates with humor and sincerity the life of a man with Cerebral Palsy. He mastered the hand gestures, facial expressions, and speech mannerisms of a man with that handicap, enchanting the audience with his charisma.
Norman is the glue who tries to pull the group together. He makes sure that the chores were done (or at least he tries to) even while he has to learn how to deal with his brother who shares his love of keys but, sadly, not his love of donuts. Unfortunately for Norman, his roommates gives him a hard time. In one specific instance, Norman is antagonized by the last roommate, Barry Klemper, a schizophrenic, who was distracted and frightened by the impending visit of his father.
In the most intense scene of the show, Barry is visited by his father whom he had not seen in nine years, and for good reason. This episode with his father ended badly, with Barry institutionalized after a psychotic break, adding a much needed dramatic moment to the otherwise meandering play. Barry’s father was played by second semester actor and stage manager David Ben-Arie. In a surprising yet effective directorial decision, Snider had Ben-Arie playing multiple roles that interacted with Klemper. Their interactions were some of the most diverse scenes within the production. From David’s character of Mr. Hedges/Hodges, to Barry’s father, and to the kindly old neighbor Mr. Fremus, they spent many scenes together, emphasizing Barry’s consistent psychosis with everyone except his father.
Last joining the motley crew was Norman’s brother, Sheldon. First time actor Binyamin Goldman showed his acting range while depicting three characters. The first was the almost forgettable Mr. Warren, the neighbor who was just looking for his son’s hamster. The second character, Sheldon, is Norman’s brother who shares his CP, but it is seemingly more mild as it is depicted in a vastly different manner. Goldman also plays the character of Senator Clarke, the man who brings to light the full extent of Lucien’s handicap, and in doing so, allows Lucien to remain on welfare.
The show, which was mainly comprised of little vignettes, balances the actors speaking both amongst themselves and to the audience, offering glimpses into the characters’ minds. Periodically, the flow of the show seemed stilted by a conversational moment with the actor speaking to the audience. Though aiming to give the audience clarity about their lives, this technique often leaves the audience confused as to what they were supposed to gain from that moment. In perhaps the clearest of those moments, Lucien explained to the audience that he, sadly, “has the brain capacity somewhere between a five year old and an oyster.” That aside explained the depth of his mental disability in a way that was not carried through to the other characters, so we did not get as clear an understanding of the others’ disabilities and limitations.
The characters’ entrances and exits during the show were interrupted by the lighting, which tended to come on too soon or not soon enough, which broke the atmosphere of the play and stopped the show from moving as seamlessly as other YCDS shows have. However, we have it on good authority that the student in charge of lights this semester only had two days to learn his cues instead of the usual week or so, so we say props to you!
This was an extremely talented group of actors, which was even more impressive with the knowledge that many of them were first-time actors with YCDS. Overall, The Boys Next Door was emotionally stirring and captivating as the audience laughed at the characters’ antics and connected with them all while catching a glimpse into their lives. We eagerly anticipate their future shows and what they will accomplish with such talented and capable members of the Society.