An undeniable, nervous undertone settled over the audience on the opening night of Syracuse Stage’s ‘The Boys Next Door’ at Archbold Theatre on Friday. With a play, or any performance, depicting the lives of mentally disabled people, an uncomfortable anticipation of the actors’ portrayals follows. However, from the moment the first actor stepped onstage, the care and sensitivity toward the subject shined through. The well-formulated dialogue, plot and performances and deeply emotional scenes thoroughly entertained.

Written by Tom Griffin, ‘The Boys Next Door’ is a funny yet emotionally stirring play, shedding light on a group of people whose voices often go unheard. Set in the 1980s, the play takes place in a group home apartment for the mentally disabled. Its inhabitants include the bubbly yet sometimes stubborn Norman, the nervous Arnold, the optimistic and inquisitive Lucien and the imaginative Barry. Jack, a social worker, looks after the men, and while he values their friendship, he wonders what else life has to offer.

The play premiered Off-Broadway in 1987, and a film version starring Nathan Lane aired in 1996. Since then, the show has been staged on many college campuses, making it a natural fit for Syracuse Stage.

Griffin’s wonderfully written play serves as a voice for the members of the mentally disabled community. It proves that their lives are just as normal as those who do not have mental disabilities. The characters experience triumphs, love, depression and fear, and Griffin’s piece silences the voices that say they can’t lead normal lives. The characters in ‘The Boys Next Door’ read books, go grocery shopping, have jobs and play golf, just like everyone else.

Griffin makes a point to never say exactly what mental illnesses the men have, except for Barry, who has schizophrenia. The play simply states that the characters have varying degrees of mental disability. 

The title of the play, ‘The Boys Next Door,’ also makes the point to establish the men as more normal than one would expect.

 The term ‘retarded’ is used throughout the play, mostly by Jack, who acts as an intermittent narrator. It comes off as shocking and inappropriate at first, given the current efforts to banish the word from modern vernacular. Griffin uses ‘retarded’ in its correct context — as a diagnostic adjective used to classify a person’s mental state — only as a way to establish the mental status of the men.

The performances by each actorcaused sympathy in theaudience toward the characters. It was obvious the actors took the time to learn about the aspects and characteristics that go along with their characters, possibly through study and observation of people who have their respective illnesses.

A stand out in the cast was Sean Patrick Fawcett,who portrays Norman. The effervescent doughnut shop worker falls in love with another group home resident named Sheila. The shining light in the play, Fawcett tapped into a range of emotions, from extreme joy to intense frustration, and his mannerisms and speech were spot on. In his love subplot he proves the point that anyone can find love. Norman came off as larger than life, both in his physical appearance and his personality — the fact that he has a mental illness became secondary to his good nature.

An interesting moment in the play is when Lucien performs a monologue to the audience as the version of himself without a mental disability. In a pivotal moment in Lucien’s plot, he steps out of the scene and looks objectively at his current situation. As the character with the gravest mental illness, Lucien eloquently laments about his life and how he has overcome obstacles to get to the place he’s at today. The chance to hear how he feels being mentally disabled provided an intriguing look into the character.

‘The Boys Next Door’ not only entertains, but provides insight into a topic and group of people who seldom get to explain themselves.

 

nbsilver@syr.edu

Published on October 23, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Noah: nbsilver@syr.edu