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Media Relations

Find hilarious, heart-warming neighbors in ‘The Boys Next Door’

"A sweet-tempered comedy . . . The Boys Next Door moves the audience to an awareness of how many things in everyday life we take for granted." --The New York Times

Lucien cherishes his library card. Norman can't resist a good doughnut. Barry is struggling with his chosen career. And Arnold -- well, Arnold's a little paranoid.

They could easily be your neighbors, but these four mentally challenged men live in a communal home under the supervision of their social worker, Jack.

Welcome to The Boys Next Door, a tender, comic play from Tom Griffin and the Brown County Playhouse's third show of its celebrated 60th season. Directed by Bruce Burgun, Boys will open its doors Aug. 8 and runs through Aug. 24. Evening performances begin at 8 p.m. Saturday, and Sunday matinees begin at 3 p.m.

Bringing these four unique men and their social worker to life is a diverse group of actors: Steve Thomas (Arnold), Ansley Valentine (Lucien), Anthony Reimer (Norman), Harper Jones (Barry) and Chris Hatch (Jack). Rounding out the cast are Alison Moody (Sheila), Dawn Thomas (Mrs. Fremus, others), Josh Hambrock (Mr. Hedges, others) and the return of Jack O'Hara (Mr. Klemper).

The quirks, foibles, accomplishments and disappointments of the characters are shown in scenes from their daily lives: at work, at home, grocery shopping, on a date, at a court hearing. Burgun has wanted for some time to bring The Boys Next Door to the Brown County Playhouse.

"It is very funny, but also incredibly human," he said. "It doesn't talk down to this section of the populace; it shows them all in different human contexts where we can all recognize ourselves within each of the characters."

In order to better understand the lives of the mentally challenged, the director and cast spent time at Stonebelt in Bloomington, a not-for-profit organization committed to supporting people with developmental disabilities and their families. Additionally, the four actors living in the group home had dinner with a group of men living at Height House, a group home similar to the one described in the play.

In The Boys Next Door, life can be both achingly funny and heartbreaking, serving as a poignant reminder that these men only want to love, laugh and find some purpose in life, just like everyone else.

Helping to create their world are scene designer Jared Rutherford, costume designer Linda Pisano, lighting designer Sean Smallman (recently returned to IU after an internship with the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario) and sound designer Matt Reynolds. Burgun notes the challenge of designing for this show, as it is "written like a movie," and says the creative team have done "a terrific job."

The Boys Next Door plays Aug. 8-9, 14-16, and 20-23 at 8 p.m., with 3 p.m. matinees Aug. 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24. Ticket prices are $20 general admission and $12 for those 25 or younger. Coupon books of six tickets are available for purchase, and may be used in any combination for any plays in the BCP season, for only $96, saving $24 off of regular ticket prices. Tickets are available in person at the Brown County Playhouse box office or the IU Auditorium box office, by phone through Ticketmaster at 812-333-9955, at Ticketmaster outlets, or online at http://theatre.indiana.edu.

Visit http://theatre.indiana.edu for more detailed information. For ticket information, please contact the IU Auditorium at 812-855-1103 or the Brown County Playhouse box office at 812-988-2123. For details about the town of Nashville and surrounding area, visit the Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.browncounty.com.

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