‘Sunshine Boys’ good winter picker-upper

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Two old Vaudevillians who haven’t spoken to each other in more than a decade are asked to reunite for a television comedy retrospective. What could go wrong? That’s the premise of Neil Simon’s classic comedy, The Sunshine Boys, which begins tonight at Van Wert Civic Theatre.

Veteran VWCT actor Rick Workman is Willie Clark, half of the star Vaudeville comedy act of Lewis and Clark. Willie hasn’t left his rundown one-room apartment in years; in fact, probably since his partner, Al Lewis (fellow VWCT veteran Steve Lane), suddenly decided to up and retire and become a stock broker. Willie, understandably bitter, hasn’t spoken to Lewis since then, and seems happy to keep it that way.

All that changes, though, when Willie’s nephew and agent, Ben Silverman (Stan Lippi), cajoles him into doing the retrospective with his former partner.

The interaction between the two takes the rest of the play on a roller coaster ride of emotion (and the obligatory Simon one-liners) to what may seem its inevitable conclusion.

Director Doug Grooms and his assistant, Deb Duncan-Faul, have given Workman and Lane room to work, while guiding a supporting cast of mostly veterans and one rookie to provide the ensemble needed to take the play to the next level.

Workman is especially good as the bitter and feisty Willie Clark, while Stan Lippi is great as Willie’s long-suffering, but loving, nephew Ben. The interaction between Workman and Lippi is inspired, and inspiring, in a crazy New York City way, as the younger man, who obviously loves his crusty old uncle, ignores Willie’s verbal abuse while trying to heal the rift between the two former partners.

Lane is excellent as Clark, a man who doesn’t realize the void he left in his old partner’s life when he decided to suddenly retire from the stage. Their exchanges are classic Neil Simon badinage, and worth the price of admission alone.

Other supporting cast members include veterans JJ Kurtz and Jim O’Neill, and newcomer Audra Clevenger, who all play roles in the comedy duo’s “Doctor sketch” being staged for the comedy retrospective, with Kurtz the patient in the sketch, while Clevenger plays the “eye candy” nurse to doctor Willie in a definitely not “#metoo” Vaudeville moment.

O’Neil is the harassed director of the retrospective who has to deal with Lewis and Clark’s increasing onstage friction.

Veteran Amy McConn is also excellent as the no-nonsense nurse who is more than a match for Willie after he has a heart attack while fighting with Al.

All in all, it’s a class act for a classic Neil Simon comedy.

The technical side is also well done, with set design by Grooms, lighting design by Mary Ann Falk, and sound design by Burdette Bolenbaugh.

The Van Wert High School TV production also provided a period-style black-and-white “televised” production of the doctor skit.

For those wanting a pleasant break from the latest blast of winter, The Sunshine Boyswill make you laugh enough to forget your vow to shoot the groundhog for lying about an early spring.

Play dates for The Sunshine Boys is tonight through Sunday, March 7-10, and the weekend of March 14-17. Evening performances start at 8 p.m., while the two Sunday matinees begin at 2 in the afternoon.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the VWCT box office by calling 419.238.9689 from 2-6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.