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The Sunshine Boys
A comedy By Neil Simon
Performed Nov 10-20,2005
Slightly akin to the Odd Couple, Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys is a terrific showpiece for any two fine, older actors. Al Lewis and Willie Clark, legendary vaudeville comedians, are invited to reunite for an appearance on a spectacular TV Variety show. BUT...eleven years earlier, Al had decided that forty-three years of performing was enough and had broken up their act to become a stockbroker. Willie is convinced that Al’s breaking up the act has deprived him of the fame and career he still covets. They have not spoken since the breakup.
 Willie’s nephew-agent, Ben, has worked diligently to bring them together for this performance and the resultant fireworks give the audience the time-of-their-lives. The play encompasses, humor, pathos, fury, deception, love and triumph all wrapped up in hysterically funny one-liners and slapstick vaudeville de-dum-bump puns, jokes and leers, with the delightful added treat of their actual vaudeville "Doctor" skit in the second act.
As with the majority of Neil Simon’s plays, The Sunshine Boys has a link to Mr. Simon’s personal experience. While writing for former stars and entertainers on the Catskill "circuit" he met a former vaudeville great named Willie Howard. He was invited to Mr Howard’s suite at the Astor Hotel on Broadway. That suite turned out to be a drab room with bath. Willie was wearing a faded bathrobe over pajama tops, blue pants with suspenders, argyle socks and slippers. He didn’t want new jokes, he just wanted a way to make the old ones popular again. The job of writing for Mr Howard didn’t work out yet he made such an impression that his character has been immortalized in The Sunshine Boys.
 The play was first produced on Broadway in 1972 and starred Jack Albertson as Willie with Sam Levene as Al. Lee Meredith played the original "nursey". It was revived on Broadway in 1997 with Jack Klugman as Willie and Tony Randall as Al and most of us have seen the movie version starring George Burns as Al with Walter Matthau as Willie. Every production has been a tour-de-force because the conflicts within the humor are timeless and true. So even though this may become a period piece set in the 1950's when television was young, it’s audience appeal cannot fail to amuse.
We hope you think so too - so please, sit back, laugh and enjoy, ENJOY!
Sources: www.curtainup.com and
www.infoplease.com
Meet the Director
 RAY
KENNEY (Director) - The FWP Board of directors has unchained Ray from
the business office long enough for him to direct this wonderful Neil
Simon comedy. Ray has been involved with FWP for 20 years, having
acted in many shows here, the most recent of which was as the drunk in
Anything Goes. Ray directed Laura in 2002 and won a Lary for his
talented direction of our 2001 production of Teahouse of the August
Moon.
BOB ARMBRUSTER (Al Lewis) - Bob last appeared at
FWP as Mr. Maraczek in She Loves Me. His extensive theatre background
includes performances in community theatres in Maryland, Hawaii and
Florida over the past 30 years. 30 good years for Bob and the audiences
he has performed for we're sure. Bob's favorite characters were, Elwood
in Harvey, FDR in Annie and Grandpa in You Can't Take It With You.
ELAINE COFFIN (Registered Nurse) - Elaine last
appeared for FWP as Mrs. Harcourt in Anything Goes and she is delighted
to be back. She is grateful to be a part of such a talented, terrific
cast, and is also more than grateful to Mickey, Rita and Angie for
keeping her "together" in so many ways! she sends special thanks to
Lars for this opportunity.
JIM DEMETRIUS (Ben Silverman) - Jim is well known
to local Tampa Bay audiences. Not only does he build wonderful sets for
shows like My Fair Lady (TSPAC), Guys and Dolls (City Players), Anything
Goes (FWP) and more, but he is an exceptional actor and singer. You
last saw him here being villainous in Dial "M" for Murder and
rat-a-tat-tapping as Spats (another villain!) in Sugar. As always Jim
dedicates his work to his mother, Patricia, and thanks his girlfriend
Maria for her support and patience.
RITA KITENPLON (Edie) - Rita is an FWP veteran.
She has appeared in our productions of Mr. Angel, Mousetrap, Laura,
Anna's Brooklyn Promise, and The Man Who Came To Dinner, just to name
the most recent. She is also as terrific working back stage as she is
when "treading the boards" and is a welcome addition to any show. She
received FWP's favorite backstage person Lary nomination last season.
Rita dedicates this show to Steve, her, patient as a saint, husband.
WALTER RAINE (Willie Clark) - Another FWP
debut! This is Walter's first appearance at FWP and he is enjoying it
immensely, he says so himself! Walter has been acting for three years
and has appeared in productions around the county including lead
characters in Everybody Loves Opal (GCP), Ten Little Indian (SPLT), Born
Yesterday (Oakhurst Theatre Group) and Anton Checkhov's The Bear (GCP).
He recently appeared as Inspector Hubbard in Dial M for Murder, the
inaugural production of POSH our newest local community theatre group.
He is a member of the Venue Actors Studio and is a retired motivational
speaker and corporate sales trainer. His wife, Karen, is an attorney
and they live with Barnie, a very special Yellow Labrador Retreiver.
DR. JOHN PATRICK SMITH (Patient) - John has
performed at FWP many times. You've seen him in Murder At the
Vicarage, HMS Pinafore, Bedful of Foreigners, Ladies of the Jury, Sugar,
Auntie Mame, and most recently, as the hilarious Detective DeVito in
Cliffhanger. No fancy disguises for John this time but, as a busy
veterinarian John brings in-depth knowledge to this part. He knows
just how a patient should behave. Perhaps Willie would have better luck
with him if he offered a doggy-treat instead of an "ahhh" stick!
OLGA LINDSTROM (Nursey) - Olga has
chosen the Francis Wilson Playhouse to make her stage debut. An import
from Sweden, Olga has performed in several Swedish films under the
direction of Ingmar Bergman, her mentor. She comes to our shores in
hopes of following in the footsteps of Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman and
Liv Ullman. Currently she is under contract to Playboy.
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