Center Players, Freehold’s award-winning resident theater company, brings a little bit of old Brooklyn to downtown Freehold with its production of “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” written by Neil Simon and directed by Leslie Hochman of Matawan. This comedy-drama is an autobiographical play set in 1937, when Neil Simon was a teen living in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. His strong mother, Kate, played by Alicia Rodriguez of South River, his hard-working father, Jack, played by Sheldon Fallon of Perrineville, and his worldly older brother, Stanley, played by Steven Lerner of Jackson, all lived the ups and downs of close family life. They shared their small home with Kate’s widowed sister, Blanche, played by Lisa Merritt of Freehold, and her two young daughters, Nora, played by Kate Barron of Colts Neck, and Laurie, played by Arielle Kopp of Freehold. Eugene Jerome, played by Ryan Gordon of East Brunswick, is the young Neil Simon and the narrator of a young boy coming of age dealing with dreams of baseball and girls while coping with the often stressful existence of a poor family working hard to survive despite numerous obstacles, including the approaching Second World War and Hitler’s hatred of Jews.
“Brighton Beach Memoirs” opens at Center Playhouse, located at 35 South St. in Freehold, on April 17 and runs for five weekends through May 17, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. There is an additional 2 p.m. matinee on May 9 and no performance on Mother’s Day, May 10. Tickets are $25 for adults, and $23 for seniors and students, and include gourmet desserts and refreshments. Group rates for parties of 10 or more are available. Call for tickets at the box office at 732-462-9093 or visit www.centerplayers.org.