'California Suite' comedy opens at Holland Community Theatre this weekend
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HOLLAND — A classic Neil Simon comedy, "California Suite," opens at Holland Community Theatre this weekend.
The show, which opened on Broadway in 1976, consists of four plays within a play, all located in the Beverly Hills Hotel. In the first vignette, we're introduced to New York City-based Hannah (Sue Ann Culp) and Bill (Brian M. Everitt) — a Los Angeles-based screenwriter. The couple, long divorced, are arguing over living arrangements for their 17-year-old daughter.
The second vignette follows classically trained British actress Diana Barrie (Christine Randall) and her antiques dealer husband Sidney Cochran (Matthew Wiederholt) in LA while they prepare to attend the Oscars, for which Diana has been nominated for Best Actress.
The third vignette follows hungover Marvin Michaels (Robb LaMer) who awakens next to a prostitute (Beth Coats). Hilarity ensures when Marvin realizes he's overslept, his wife Millie (Sandra Griffin) is arriving soon, and he can't get the woman in his bed to wake up.
The final vignette features two couples, best friends, who've just spent a three-week vacation together. But there's trouble brewing as Mort (Jonathon B. Levine) and Beth (Prairie Householder) come to fisticuffs with Stu (Michael Culp) and Gert (Beth Coats) as they realize three weeks together is about two weeks too long.
All of the vignettes deal with relationships and how we handle them.
Director Sandy Graham Kirchinger said the play really “shows Neil Simon’s range. He deals with very serious concerns but also has some slapstick comedy as well.”
The play does contain adult language. Dates are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7, 8, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22 — plus a 2 p.m. matinee on Oct. 16. Tickets are $18 per adult, $16 per senior and $10 per student. They can be purchased online at thehollandcommunitytheatre.org or by calling the box office at 616-396-2021.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: 'California Suite' comedy opens tonight at Holland Community Theatre
