Study Guide
1. Basic Facts
“The Boys Next Door” is a play that takes the audience upon a rollercoaster of emotions, from silly and fun to heartbreak but joyful. The intensive weaving of the characters emotions done by the play write Tom Griffin is simply genius when productions can correctly identify the strengths and weaknesses of each character. The show depicts four mentally challenged men who show the audience daily struggles with added kinks, and shows the tender side of Jack, their care taker. Tom Griffin didn't do anything spectacular when he wrote his dramatic comedy "The Boys Next Door," but he did give us a light-hearted play that takes a risk in its premise: It is about mentally retarded adults. That the play dares to let them be funny is admirable; the temptation among over-reactionary types would be to assert that a comedy involving the mentally handicapped is automatically mocking those people. This study guide will be used to help the audience of incoming freshmen at a University.
The setting is a group home supervised by Jack, a gaunt, graying man who loves the men he cares for but is feeling burnt out by his responsibility to them. First there is Arnold ,whom Jack tells us is "marginal" as far as being retarded, but who is most definitely a nervous, obsessive sort of fellow. Norman high-functioning, works at a doughnut shop and has a sweet crush on Sheila, who is also mentally challenged. Lucien is somewhat less able to function in society, a fact that comes into play when the government mistakenly concludes otherwise and discontinues his Social Security payments.
Griffin clearly did not intend for the humor to be at the expense of the retarded characters, but it does stem naturally from the fact that they are retarded. That is to say, much of what's funny -- their reaction to a mouse in their apartment, Norman's obsession with keys, and so on -- would play out much differently if they were not mentally challenged. These characters happen to be, and the play honestly examines their particular foibles in a manner that is funny and at times even hilarious. The play is little more than a series of vignettes, with only minor plot threads connecting them, and as such there is a feeling of fragmentation about it. But the acting is extremely well done, with each of the actors carefully -- and usually successfully -- balancing the line between portraying real people and becoming stereotypes.
It reaches its emotional peak in the scene between Barry and his father, a difficult conversation that plays out with the right mix of awkwardness and sensitivity. The comic zenith, meanwhile, is Norman's completely unhinged behavior while on a date with Sheila -- a date that consists of sitting in the apartment and discussing keys.
All in all “The Boys Next Door” are exactly that, they are charming, sweet, and sometimes misunderstood in the most comedic ways. To really enjoy this show you must know the struggles and temptations that these men go through on a day in and day out basis but even then, what’s not to love about four grown men who just enjoy being kids?
To give you more an inside on the Playwright himself I’ll explain some interesting facts about the man who created this heart filled play. Tom Griffin is an American playwright who began his writing in Vermont in the early 1960s as a struggling actor and director. He originally planned to name the show “The Boys Next Door” as “Damaged Hearts and Broken Flowers” but decided the show then sounded too deep. He wrote the show to me a comical but influencial reflection on societies view of the critical life of disabled men and their care taker. He won several awards and went on to also write other plays including Amateurs, Einstein and The Polar Bear, Pasta, and Mrs. Sedgewick's head.
Reviews :
1. Producing Organization : Jay H. Fuchs2. Theater/Venu : Lambs Theater3. City/State : New York, NY4. Director : Josephine R Abady5. Designers : Set , David Potts . Sound , Lia Vollack. Costume, C.L. Hundley .6. Run Dates : November 23 1987- April 17th 1988
“None of it seemed very funny so this viewer bowed out at the intermission after watching Sheila (Deborah Gilmour Smyth), a deaf and retarded girl, call herself a geranium and dance with Norman (Robert Smyth), a chubby, slow man who called himself a doughnut. A little choreographed routine and a spotlight transformed their clunky, real-life efforts at dancing into their fantasy of "normal" or "perfect" movement. All around, people cried and commented how sweet that was, implying that the characters are "just like us," which of course they are in some ways. It's their differences from "us" that make the developmentally disabled the subject of this show, however. Griffin never lets them speak for themselves; what a show that might have been, created from real life, not the dictates of dramatic form. And though other San Diego directors have used handicapped actors, director Kerry Meads settled for traditional casting of mainstream actors pretending to be disabled”
Anne Marie Welch San Dieago Union April 6th 1988 (newsbank)
“The best time I've had in the theater recently came a couple of weeks ago in a third-floor, walk-up space on West 44th Street, New York. It's a show called ""The Boys Next Door ,'' a modest and disarming story that draws its audience into a household of mentally disabled men, first by laughing at them, then laughing with them and finally by tangling us up in their lives, and in that of the social worker who cares for them. What threatens to be an alarming indulgence in us-and-them humor grows before the audience's eyes into a conspiracy of understanding. It's an extraordinarily effective work, so please excuse the cliche when I report that I laughed a lot and cried almost as much."
Peter Haugen Sacramento Bee April 20th 1988 (newsbank)
2. Things to think about.
A. How do you convey the realistic feel of the main characters without exaggerating but still having the comedic relief?
B. What sort of important events took place in this time period in which directly involved the status of the mentally challenged, I.E. why are they living where they are living now as adults?
C. What prompts the emotions during the dance scene where you the audience first sees the love between two of the mentally challenged characters? What’s the initial spark?
D. How do you decide what to do with the set? How to keep the audience engaged with such a simple set while keeping the ideas and mindset of the playwright still in mind?
E. In the end, with the lights, sound and set, how can you convey the most powerful moment in the show, the most powerful idea in the show, and the most powerful scenes in the show and what are they and how do they take place?
3. Helpful Links
A. Library of Congress http://catalog.loc.gov/ . Library of Congress provides any type of book of any kind you could be interested in finding, different versions, different writers . This is a very good tool when trying to find a specific copy.
B. Wikipedia http://wikipedia.com Although this should only be used for helpful facts this site proved to be quite useful in generating specific facts to lead me to find other interesting show details along with facts from the time period.
C. News Bank http(://infoweb.newsbank.com/iwsearch/we/Homepage?p_action=doc&p_theme=current&p_nbid=K61H4CNFMTMwOTE5MjAzMi42NzQ5Mzc6MToxNDoxNTguMTM1LjUyLjE3Mw )
A must use for researching Production Histories and all the facts needed for them, this website proved to be very useful when trying to find the specifics about productions.
D. Internet Broadway Database http://www.ibdb.com/index.php This website proved to be very helpful in finding different productions done on Broadway. I used this to find different ways the show has been produced and who different actors and directors were of the shows.
E. Lortel (http://www.lortel.org/lla_archive/index.cfm) Lortel provided me with a great amount of information for all of the shows done off Broadway. This provided me with the information needed to look deeper into how the shows were produced and designed, a very useful tool for dramaturgy.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Program Notes
"The Boys Next Door" Program Notes
Have you ever wondered what the daily struggles and tribulations of the mentally handicapped really are? Have you often watched from a far as you can see the simple things in life bringing joy to these people? We all have, and with the help of Tom Griffin we will have the chance to glimpse inside the mind of four men living together under special circumstances and how the cope with struggles that anyone would find difficult. As the show progresses so do the characters and we as a cast invite you on the magnificence that “The Boys Next Door” bring to the show and the world as a whole.
This show displays four men with different disabilities living together as a part of an agreement and the setting is a group home supervised by Jack a gaunt, graying man who loves the men he cares for but is feeling burnt out by his responsibility to them. First there is Arnold ,whom Jack tells us is "marginal" as far as being retarded, but who is most definitely a nervous, obsessive sort of fellow. Norman high-functioning, works at a doughnut shop and has a sweet crush on Sheila, who is also mentally challenged. Lucien is somewhat less able to function in society, a fact that comes into play when the government mistakenly concludes otherwise and discontinues his Social Security payments.
The show is set in 1985 in Boston Massachusetts during a time when Mentaly Handicaped people were being put in homes because taxes could no longer pay for Mental Hospitals. Only the severally ill were placed in hospitals and those found not suitable for living in society. Both men and women of all disabilities are asked to move into homes with caretakers ( paid for by the state ) and live in apartments complexes to hopefully live normal lives. All in all “The Boys Next Door” are exactly that, they are charming, sweet, and sometimes misunderstood in the most comedic ways. To really enjoy this show you must know the struggles and temptations that these men go through on a day in and day out basis but even then, what’s not to love about four grown men who just enjoy being kids?
To give you more an inside on the Playwright himself I’ll explain some interesting facts about the man who created this heart filled play. Tom Griffin is an American playwright who began his writing in Vermont in the early 1960s as a struggling actor and director. He originally planned to name the show “The Boys Next Door” as “Damaged Hearts and Broken Flowers” but decided the show then sounded too deep. He wrote the show to me a comical but influential reflection on societies view of the critical life of disabled men and their care taker. He won several awards and went on to also write other plays including Amateurs, Einstein and The Polar Bear, Pasta, and Mrs. Sedgewick's head.
With the combination of Mr. Griffins joyful and understanding sides he really brings quite a magnificence to the stage that any audience of any kind will enjoy. We invite you to sit back, and enjoy the world of these four amazing men and live the life that they live on a constant basis however, be ready to laugh and cry along with these characters because they surely do make you want to do both, and enjoy it.
Have you ever wondered what the daily struggles and tribulations of the mentally handicapped really are? Have you often watched from a far as you can see the simple things in life bringing joy to these people? We all have, and with the help of Tom Griffin we will have the chance to glimpse inside the mind of four men living together under special circumstances and how the cope with struggles that anyone would find difficult. As the show progresses so do the characters and we as a cast invite you on the magnificence that “The Boys Next Door” bring to the show and the world as a whole.
This show displays four men with different disabilities living together as a part of an agreement and the setting is a group home supervised by Jack a gaunt, graying man who loves the men he cares for but is feeling burnt out by his responsibility to them. First there is Arnold ,whom Jack tells us is "marginal" as far as being retarded, but who is most definitely a nervous, obsessive sort of fellow. Norman high-functioning, works at a doughnut shop and has a sweet crush on Sheila, who is also mentally challenged. Lucien is somewhat less able to function in society, a fact that comes into play when the government mistakenly concludes otherwise and discontinues his Social Security payments.
The show is set in 1985 in Boston Massachusetts during a time when Mentaly Handicaped people were being put in homes because taxes could no longer pay for Mental Hospitals. Only the severally ill were placed in hospitals and those found not suitable for living in society. Both men and women of all disabilities are asked to move into homes with caretakers ( paid for by the state ) and live in apartments complexes to hopefully live normal lives. All in all “The Boys Next Door” are exactly that, they are charming, sweet, and sometimes misunderstood in the most comedic ways. To really enjoy this show you must know the struggles and temptations that these men go through on a day in and day out basis but even then, what’s not to love about four grown men who just enjoy being kids?
To give you more an inside on the Playwright himself I’ll explain some interesting facts about the man who created this heart filled play. Tom Griffin is an American playwright who began his writing in Vermont in the early 1960s as a struggling actor and director. He originally planned to name the show “The Boys Next Door” as “Damaged Hearts and Broken Flowers” but decided the show then sounded too deep. He wrote the show to me a comical but influential reflection on societies view of the critical life of disabled men and their care taker. He won several awards and went on to also write other plays including Amateurs, Einstein and The Polar Bear, Pasta, and Mrs. Sedgewick's head.
With the combination of Mr. Griffins joyful and understanding sides he really brings quite a magnificence to the stage that any audience of any kind will enjoy. We invite you to sit back, and enjoy the world of these four amazing men and live the life that they live on a constant basis however, be ready to laugh and cry along with these characters because they surely do make you want to do both, and enjoy it.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Production History Statement
Statement
While reading the play “The Boys Next Door” there were several issues that did arise from the text that would need to be addressed right from the beginning with the director. One of the issues would be to do non traditional casting or not, would it be possible to cast a full cast of mentally handicapped men bringing an even more resounding effect to the show, or would you want to just stick to the basics and have four actors ACT disabled. From the shows that I have researched there is a mixed emotion among producers and directors, some really like to have the realistic effect of having the real casting of the men while others prefer to stick with regular actors so its very interesting to see the differences in casting. Another issue would be how to design the set, the text is very specific on where each room is and where certain areas of the house are, would you go with a box set? A rotating set, would you divulge into a different outlook and go away from what the text wants?
There are also some very common issues with producing this play here at Sam Houston State, such as the casting as I mentioned before. This is the only key factor that I can find being an issue here on this campus because we have such a large variety of ethnicity and differences in many of our students , this show would be a perfect show to do but as I mentioned before, how would you go about casting the four men? I believe that if this show was done at Sam Houston I would recommend casting normal college kids as these adults and really get them to understand how these men would have lived and acted without trying to be “comical” about it because as young adults we tend to believe that just because mentally handicapped person is in a show that means we need to exaggerate their lifestyle and that simply cannot happen in this particular show.
From what I have researched I have seen some very interesting ways to put this show on. Many directors take the approach as I would have done here at Sam Houston State, however there are a handful of these shows done where the 4 men are truly handicapped and are phenomenal actors and it seems to really hit home for people while on the other hand if done correctly the show has the same effect with normal actors. Also it seems that most directors or producers go with the box set approach. Seeing the set as a whole really helps the audience go through this plot, it all happens in the apartment (excluding the dance hall scene which can be arranged in the set on a quick scene change) so every set I have seen for this show seems to go with a box set style which is how I would approach it also, even before researching the different shows.
This show is a huge hit off and on Broadway, when these actors really learn these characters and can soak up the pure joy that these characters have inside them the show cannot be disliked. During my research I did not find one critic who did not enjoy the performance they saw, everyone seemed to have the same view which was this show is a rollercoaster of emotions and the outlook on these men is truly something that everyone should witness. As I mentioned before ,however, this show must not be overdone and exaggerated because if it is, it will be viewed as harsh and insensitive so one must be careful when taking this show on.
While reading the play “The Boys Next Door” there were several issues that did arise from the text that would need to be addressed right from the beginning with the director. One of the issues would be to do non traditional casting or not, would it be possible to cast a full cast of mentally handicapped men bringing an even more resounding effect to the show, or would you want to just stick to the basics and have four actors ACT disabled. From the shows that I have researched there is a mixed emotion among producers and directors, some really like to have the realistic effect of having the real casting of the men while others prefer to stick with regular actors so its very interesting to see the differences in casting. Another issue would be how to design the set, the text is very specific on where each room is and where certain areas of the house are, would you go with a box set? A rotating set, would you divulge into a different outlook and go away from what the text wants?
There are also some very common issues with producing this play here at Sam Houston State, such as the casting as I mentioned before. This is the only key factor that I can find being an issue here on this campus because we have such a large variety of ethnicity and differences in many of our students , this show would be a perfect show to do but as I mentioned before, how would you go about casting the four men? I believe that if this show was done at Sam Houston I would recommend casting normal college kids as these adults and really get them to understand how these men would have lived and acted without trying to be “comical” about it because as young adults we tend to believe that just because mentally handicapped person is in a show that means we need to exaggerate their lifestyle and that simply cannot happen in this particular show.
From what I have researched I have seen some very interesting ways to put this show on. Many directors take the approach as I would have done here at Sam Houston State, however there are a handful of these shows done where the 4 men are truly handicapped and are phenomenal actors and it seems to really hit home for people while on the other hand if done correctly the show has the same effect with normal actors. Also it seems that most directors or producers go with the box set approach. Seeing the set as a whole really helps the audience go through this plot, it all happens in the apartment (excluding the dance hall scene which can be arranged in the set on a quick scene change) so every set I have seen for this show seems to go with a box set style which is how I would approach it also, even before researching the different shows.
This show is a huge hit off and on Broadway, when these actors really learn these characters and can soak up the pure joy that these characters have inside them the show cannot be disliked. During my research I did not find one critic who did not enjoy the performance they saw, everyone seemed to have the same view which was this show is a rollercoaster of emotions and the outlook on these men is truly something that everyone should witness. As I mentioned before ,however, this show must not be overdone and exaggerated because if it is, it will be viewed as harsh and insensitive so one must be careful when taking this show on.
Production History 6
Production History 6
1. Producing Organization : Worcester Forum Theatre Ensemble
2. Theater / Venu : Performing Arts Center of Worcester
3. City, State : Worcester
4. Director : Brian T Tivnans
5. Run time : April 20th – May 20th 1990
1. Producing Organization : Worcester Forum Theatre Ensemble
2. Theater / Venu : Performing Arts Center of Worcester
3. City, State : Worcester
4. Director : Brian T Tivnans
5. Run time : April 20th – May 20th 1990
“As far as the Worcester Forum Theatre Ensemble offering of Tom Griffin 's "The Boys Next Door " is concerned, the answer is an emphatic yes. The production, which opened its run last night before a sell-out audience of 117, is exceptionally well rendered. The considerable humor in the script actually grows on you as the play progresses because the characters have been drawn so skillfully by the cast. The play also has several genuinely poignant moments, and these too register true under director Brian T. Tivnan's sympathetic direction.”
- Richard Duckett Worcester Telegram and Gazette April 27th 1990
Production History 5
Production History 5
1. Producing Organization : A Peoples Theater
2. Theater/Venu : Studio Theater at Theater Garage
3. City, State : Orlando, FL
4. Director : Chris Jorie
5. Designers : Set Design – John Roux , Lighting – Jay BeckerRun time : August 15- September 9th 2001
1. Producing Organization : A Peoples Theater
2. Theater/Venu : Studio Theater at Theater Garage
3. City, State : Orlando, FL
4. Director : Chris Jorie
5. Designers : Set Design – John Roux , Lighting – Jay BeckerRun time : August 15- September 9th 2001
“The first time I saw Tom Griffin 's little comedy-drama The Boys Next Door , I thought it was all too cuddly. The second time it was sentimental and broad. But in its latest incarnation, director Chris Jorie brings such sensitivity to this slip of a story that, with his People's Theatre production, all my preconceptions are gone. Jorie and his actors have found bravery in what once seemed like mush. They've found the heart of Griffin 's play. Jorie is a new face for People's Theatre, a 2-year-old multicultural company that has bumped along from show to show without discovering a strong directorial hand. With The Boys Next Door , the shift is obvious. Not only has Jorie attracted actors who might not have auditioned for the company otherwise, but he has led them to be as good as they can. It's what theater should always be.”
- Elizabeth Maupin The Orlando Sentinel
- Elizabeth Maupin The Orlando Sentinel
“Yet it's the more serious moments that linger the way these men struggle, the way both the weaker- and stronger-minded try to do their best and their best is not enough. You can see it in the chilling scene between Barry and his blustery father (Ken Sklar), when neither of them has a clue how to behave. And you can feel it in the break in Bruner's voice and the red around his eyes when the beaten-down Jack (Bruner has never been better) prepares to leave his charges behind. People's production stumbles against some technical challenges in the bare-bones Studio Theatre: Exits aren't always where they need to be, the rudimentary set (uncredited in the program) doesn't pass for all the locations it must, and the erratic lighting doesn't allow actors to make their exits gracefully between scenes. Still, the acting throughout is low-key and terrific, just as it must be to make this little play work. It has the moments, and it may flirt with sentimentality. But a good director takes it all in stride.”
- Phillip R. Greeves Orlando Sentinel
- Phillip R. Greeves Orlando Sentinel
Production History 4
Production History 4
1. Producing Organization : Atlanta Theater Company
2. Theater/Venu : Theater in Square
3. City,State :Atlanta, GA
4. Director : Norman McPhee
5. Run Times : September 12- October 1st 1989
“There are few more soul-satisfying sights than a small theater leaping beyond its old artistic limits - and making it. Triumphantly. Ladies and gentlemen, please be reintroduced to Theatre in the Square, for its production of "The Boys Next Door " - rich with laughter and heartbreak and startling candor - may be like nothing you've ever seen there. It not only gets the Atlanta theater season off to a streaking start, it also sets high marks in acting - in particular, an absolutely brilliant performance by David De Vries - that will be hard to match the rest of the season.”
- Dan Hulbert Atlanta Journal
Production History 3
Production History 3
1. Producing Organization – John Herochik
2. Theater/Venu – McCarther Theater
3. City/State – Princeton , NJ
4. Director – Nagle Jackson
5. Degisners – Set, John Jensen . Costume Marie Miller. Lighting – F. Mitchell Dana
6. June 18 1986
Review Link : http://search.proquest.com/hnpnewyorktimes/docview/111104985/130187F47716D0F16C2/3?accountid=7065
D.J.R. Brunkner NY Times
“It is hardly surprising that “The Boys Next Door”, Tom Griffin’s first play having its premier at the McCarter Theater , is emotionally appealing. It is the story of four retarded men living in a city apartment and working at simple jobs. Mr. Griffin avoids most controversial aspects of the subject and concentrates on the men’s hopes”.
http://search.proquest.com/hnpnewyorktimes/docview/111071345/13018859FBE501F6152/4?accountid=7065
Alvin Klein NY Times
“But wonder one must, for the new play by Tom Griffin at the “renewed” McCarter Theater is all about the mentally handicapped. Is it a laughing matter?
It takes an audience time to figure out just what the playwright is up to. By the end of the first act , at least , there is a clue.”
1. Producing Organization – John Herochik
2. Theater/Venu – McCarther Theater
3. City/State – Princeton , NJ
4. Director – Nagle Jackson
5. Degisners – Set, John Jensen . Costume Marie Miller. Lighting – F. Mitchell Dana
6. June 18 1986
Review Link : http://search.proquest.com/hnpnewyorktimes/docview/111104985/130187F47716D0F16C2/3?accountid=7065
D.J.R. Brunkner NY Times
“It is hardly surprising that “The Boys Next Door”, Tom Griffin’s first play having its premier at the McCarter Theater , is emotionally appealing. It is the story of four retarded men living in a city apartment and working at simple jobs. Mr. Griffin avoids most controversial aspects of the subject and concentrates on the men’s hopes”.
http://search.proquest.com/hnpnewyorktimes/docview/111071345/13018859FBE501F6152/4?accountid=7065
Alvin Klein NY Times
“But wonder one must, for the new play by Tom Griffin at the “renewed” McCarter Theater is all about the mentally handicapped. Is it a laughing matter?
It takes an audience time to figure out just what the playwright is up to. By the end of the first act , at least , there is a clue.”
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