The Boys Next Door
Smyrna-based Lamplighter’s Theatre Company is quickly becoming one of the premier community theatres in Middle Tennessee. Though only a few years old, Lamplighter’s has developed a large and loyal fan base by producing popular Broadway musicals like Annie, The Sound of Music, Guys & Dolls and Man of LaMancha in addition to well-known and loved classics such as Steel Magnolias, The Crucible, A Christmas Carol, 12 Angry Men and The Mousetrap. But this gutsy, upstart doesn’t shy away from producing new works, such as their hugely popular production of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, adapted by local playwright, Paula K. Parker. Lamplighter’s Theatre Company is currently running the off-Broadway hit, The Boys Next Door, and it is quite simply not to be missed.
This very funny, very poignant play focuses on the lives of four mentally-challenged men who live in a communal residence under the watchful eye of a sincere, but increasingly despairing, social worker. The play is marked by the compassion and understanding with which it peers into the half-lit world of its handicapped protagonists. Lamplighter’s veteran, Arwen Jones, helms the production with a light hand, allowing the stellar cast to do what they do best – and what they do best is inhabit their characters.
Let’s be honest here – community theatre typically includes a cast that features some really good actors along with at least one or two members who are merely adequate. We tend to overlook those actors because this is, after all, community theatre. Nobody’s getting paid here, so as a director you make do with whoever happens to show up for auditions. I’m happy to say that is not the case with this production of The Boys Next Door. There is no weak link actor. Each cast member appears to challenge the others to step up their game, and each actor delivers in spades.
While each actor’s performance was exceptional, there were moments in the show that simply sent shivers up this reviewer’s spine. The dance scene between Nathan Owen’s Norman Bulansky and Shannon Spencer’s Sheila was achingly poignant. When John Wiggins’ Lucien P. Smith stepped out of himself to reveal the man inside the child – oh, my…tears flowed. While I’m quite sure actor Jack Gilpin is a kind and loving man, his portrayal of the physically and verbally abusive father of schizophrenic Barry Klemper, played with heart wrenching clarity by Justin Hand, was stunning in its brutality and made me want to thrash him within an inch of his life. Yeah, that’s just the kind of play The Boys Next Door is. You laugh, you weep, you get angry…and you ultimately come to grips with what it means to be human.
Lamplighter’s Theatre Company has produced many fine shows since its debut season in 2004, and I’ve seen most of them. The Boys Next Door ranks up there with the best of them, and is certainly one of my favorite productions. It should be noted that Lamplighter’s Theatre Company performs on the campus of Springhouse Worship and Arts Center in Smryna, Tennessee and is known for producing plays that are appropriate for the entire famly. The Boys Next Door deals with some mature issues and includes some harsh language which, while totally in keeping with the characters and theme of the play, may make this production inappropriate for younger children. Children under the age of 4 years are not admitted.
Lamplighter’s Theatre Company’s production of The Boys Next Door runs October 21,22, 23, 28, 29 & 30. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 pm; Sunday performances are at 4:30 pm. For more information contact Lamplighters Theatre Company at (615) 852-8499(TIXX), or visit them online at www.Lamplighterstheatre.com
