Niles TNT presents well-acted comedy

The restaurateur attempts
to have affairs with three women, but all are hilarious disasters.

TRACEY D’ASTOLFO

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

NILES — Trumbull New Theatre got its 60th anniversary season off to a red-hot start.

Before Friday’s opening night performance, Trumbull County Commissioner Paul Heltzel read a proclamation honoring the community playhouse from the stage.

Then came Neil Simon’s comedy, “The Last of the Red Hot Lovers.” Written in 1969 in the middle of the sexual revolution, the play focuses on successful restaurateur Barney Cashman’s battle with a midlife crisis.

Barney, married to his high school sweetheart for 23 years, leads a predictable life, and that scares him. In his words, he wants one time to not only exist, but to live. His attempts to give in to his secret desires with a one-night affair produce hilarious and soul-searching results. Director Ben Gavitt chose an excellent lead in Brian H. Lee, who plays the bumbling, paunchy Barney Cashman perfectly.

In the course of the play, Barney arranges three disastrous encounters at his working mother’s apartment, which he can use until 5 p.m..

What happens

His first rendezvous is with Elaine Navazio, a hard-bitten, married woman whose unabashed advances throw old-fashioned Barney off balance. Cynthia Poplyk playes the smart-mouthed, jaded Elaine to a tee. Barney tries desperately to rescue the failing tryst, but Elaine’s passion flags when he is put off by her promiscuous past.

Barney’s next try, with an attractive but off-balance aspiring actress, nearly sends him into cardiac arrest. Judy Castronova plays ditzy chatterbox Bobbi Michele perfectly, and Barney’s horrified reactions to her wild stories are hilarious.

Barney feels a little safer with his third choice, with his wife’s friend Jeanette Fisher. Friends for years, Barney figures he knows Jeanette pretty well and doesn’t have to worry about surprises. But world-weary Jeanette, played well by TNT regular Micky Burnsworth, brings along all her neuroses, regrets and a pocketbook full of anti-depressants that apparently aren’t doing their job.

Lee’s peformance of Harvey’s frustrated explosion in the final scene is unforgettable and funny. And Harvey’s final assessment of humanity is tinged with sadness as he concludes that he is, as most people are, not unloving or indecent, just human.

X“The Last Of The Red Hot Lovers” plays at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sept. 21 and 22, and at 3 p.m on Sept. 23 at Trumbull New Theatre in Niles. For ticket information, call (330) 652-1103.