June 1, 2005 -- The University of Wyoming's 2005 Snowy Range Summer Theatre and Dance
Festival launches the summer season with Neil Simon's beloved comedy, "Barefoot in
the Park," June 7 through 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Studio Theatre. Tickets
cost $5 for students, $8 for senior citizens, and $10 for others. For tickets and
information call (307) 766-6666 or go online at www.uwyo.edu/finearts.
One of Simon's earliest and most successful hits, "Barefoot in the Park," directed
by Wolf J. Sherrill, follows the trials and tribulations of young newlyweds Paul and
Corrie Bratter. They begin their life together in the Big Apple, finding out more
than they ever wanted to know about themselves in the process.
All is well with the Bratters during their six-day honeymoon. But sparks fly as Paul
and Corrie set up house in the expensive, leaky walk-up apartment Corrie has chosen
for them on the sixth floor of an old brownstone. Not only is the place unfurnished
and tiny, but the endless flights of stairs to the apartment leave the Bratters and
visitors alike out of breath and on the verge of collapse.
"'Barefoot in the Park' is a wonderful roller coaster ride of a comedy," says director
Sherrill, assistant professor of acting at UW. "It's a study of what makes opposites
attract and human nature hilarious."
Peppered with Simon's rapid-fire dialogue and poignant treatment of human nature,
"Barefoot in the Park" has played almost continuously around the country since its
Broadway debut in 1963. The play has inspired many other comedies, including the recent
TV series "Dharma and Greg" and "Will and Grace."
Posted on Wednesday, June 01, 2005