Tom Griffin's The Boys Next Door, directed by Summer Golden, is set in a communal residence in New England. Jack, an increasingly "burning out" young social worker supervises the four mentally challenged men sharing the residence. What is strikingly different about this production is that several members of the cast, in fact, fit the description and are members of STARS, a performing troupe of mentally challenged actors.
Luigi Flam (Norman), a member of STARS, plays a fun-loving resident, always ready to dance and date. Norman's idiosyncratic behavior includes a penchant for bringing home donut pieces from the donut shop where he works, and an obsession about his collection of keys. He has a good sense of comedic timing. Other members of STARS include Rachel Goldbaum, who plays Sheila, Norman's love interest, and Victoria Pires. Flam and Goldbaum make a fun pair. Pires, whom we've seen dance before, has an infectious smile as well as a dynamic dance interpretation to many music styles.
Brian Burke is Jack, the social worker. Jack is also the narrator, bridging the many scenes with salient information and story continuity. Burke's job is to keep peace in the living unit and attempt to get the men to socialize. He usually succeeds.
The other residents include Arnold, Barry, and Lucien. Arnold (Sven Salumaa) is a hyperactive, compulsive yakker, suffering from insecurities and a persecution complex. He is the unofficial leader of the residents, thus causing many problems for Jack. Barry (Eric Trigg) is an extremely intelligent schizophrenic who fantasizes that he is a golf pro. He is devastated by the unfeeling rejection of his brutal father. His transition from an aloof golf pro to being catatonic is totally convincing.
Mikel Taxer becomes Lucien, with barely the mind of a five-year-old. He carries around weighty tomes, which he is unable to read, let alone comprehend. His performance is entirely convincing. We, the audience, know that he is a member of STARS with an excellent memory. John Fojtik and Summer Golden play two small roles, each interacting with several of the residents.
North Park Vaudeville and Candy Shoppe must have the smallest stage in San Diego. They often use the aisle and, in some shows, work in front of the curtain during scene changes. In The Boys Next Door, the small stage requires the audience to use a bit of imagination for locations not taking place in the apartment. However, the story and the telling of it make up for the small playing area. This is an interesting experience, a wonderful experiment in combining the love of theater with the love of helping others. Director Golden, who has directed the STARS group several times, as well as being an acting teacher, may be the first to combine stage actors with the mentally impaired. As such, the show works on many levels. There is a dynamic with the actors as each helps the other. I am sure the STARS group inspired the other actors even as they learned from them.
