Biloxi Blues
Biloxi Blues
By Neil Simon
Directed by Rob Winn Anderson
Starring Carl Krickmire and Tyler Cravens
Produced by Beth Marshall Presents
The Garden Theatre, Winter Garden FL</strong>
It’s been Neil Simon Month around here with multiple performances of multiple shows from this multi-talented author. While “Biloxi Blues” isn’t Simon’s funniest show in many ways it’s his strongest. Eugene Morris Jerome (Krickmire) is a nice Jewish boy from Brooklyn with plans to lose his virginity and gain fame as a writer. He’s drafted into World War 2 and packed off to Biloxi Mississippi for basic training along with a spectrum of other naif young men. They have no idea where West Virginia is, no idea how hot it is in Mississippi in the summer, and despise the Jewish intellectualism of Jerome and his tribe mate Epstein (C. K. Anderson). Jerome collects material for later in life while Epstein fights a bizarre psychological war against Drill instructor Sgt, Toomey (Cravens). I can’t say Toomey grows here, but the men learn to work together and make a reasonable fighting force though there discovery of Jerome’s diary.
This show pops up on a regular basis, and I’ll rank this is one of the crispest productions I’ve experienced. The casting is solid, excellent performances come from everyone including belligerent Selridge (Steven Pugh), doughy Carney (Andy Haynes) and that subversive Epstein. Craven’s Toomey offers a tight balance between terrorist drill sergeant and stable father figure; his battles with Epstein are epic but very human. Supporting actresses Jennifer Bonner (as Rowena the hooker) and Julie Snyder (as Daisy the good Catholic Girl) felt right; they’re needed to soften the brutal macho of the boot camp environment. All of this plays out on a versatile and glowing set by Tommy Mangieri and lit by stalwart Amy Hadley. They even put the ceiling stars to good use in the second act, and the show was packed with men who might just be old enough to have known Jerome.
For more information on The Garden Theatre, please visit www.gardentheatre.org
For more information on Beth Marshall Presents visit http://bethmarshallpresents.wordpress.com/
