Hilarious 'Sunshine Boys,' powerful 'Quickies' + 2 more plays our critics say you should see

What did our reviewers think of shows new to or still on Cape Cod stages this week and why?

Here's a look at productions of "The Sunshine Boys" by Eventide Theatre Company; "Quickies" by Provincetown Dramatic Arts at the Art House; "The Fantasticks" at Cape Playhouse; and "The Revolutionists" at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater.

‘The Sunshine Boys’

By Barbara Clark

Written by: Neil Simon; directed by Ruthe Lew; performed by Eventide Theatre Company.

What it’s about: This 1972 homage to the world of vaudeville has a time-honored plot — it’s the old actors-not-speaking-to-each-other comic routine, sparked with vintage Neil Simon dialogue. Aging actors Al Lewis (Cleo Zani) and Willie Clark (Barry Lew) have baggage — a never-healed split in their longtime vaudeville partnership that goes way back for the old-time duo. Now, Lewis is a decade retired, while Clark is still struggling to find work, though his memory is slowly deserting him. Ben, Willie’s nephew and long-suffering agent (Ari Lew), has a one-show reunion in the works for the two old masters, if only they can stop trading insults. And therein lies the tale, as the frustrated Ben tries his best to hold the game together.

See it or not: See it for the dazzling performances of Cleo Zani and Barry Lew, who perfectly embody their roles as fading former partners, jumping on every stage moment as the consummate professionals they are. They’re more than just “containers” for Simon’s marvelous one-liners. To the character of Al, Zani brings an old man’s wistful consciousness of his aging self; you can almost watch him looking inward in a comic/sad way at just what he’s like as an old man. Barry Lew’s crotchety but lovable Willie calls out for affection even while zealously batting it away at every turn.

Highlights: There are countless moments to savor, among them a priceless scene where the actors try to arrange the chairs and table for rehearsal, neither wanting the other to prevail. And there’s a hilarious, slapstick vaudeville set piece featuring outlandish wigs and a cartoon-worthy fantasy nurse straight out of the comic strips, played to the hilt by Cara Gerardi.

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nteresting fact: Simon’s fictional team of Lewis and Clark looked back at a couple of real-life vaudeville teams from the early 20th century: Smith and Dale, who remained lifelong friends throughout their partnership, and the stage duo of Gallagher and Shean, who bickered constantly both on and off stage.

Worth noting: The evening is really a double look-back: Eventide’s production of Simon’s 1972 comedy is full of the hallmarks and humorous touchstones of the ‘70s era, which in turn frames an affectionate reprise of the long-gone days of vaudeville.

One more thing: “Sunshine Boys” turns out to be a family affair of sorts: Ruthe Lew, the director of this finely tuned production, is the wife of Barry Lew, and Ari Lew is their son. All are well-known figures on the Cape Cod theater scene.

If you go: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, through Sept. 25. (Sept. 18 performance sold out); Gertrude Lawrence Stage at Dennis Union Church, 713 Main St.; $31; 508-233-2148, https://www.eventidearts.org/

‘Quickies’

By Sue Mellen

Written by: Doug Asher-Best, Lynda Sturner, Jim Dalglish and Margaret Van Sant; directed by Van Sant, Sturner and Dalglish; presented by Provincetown Dramatic Arts and Mark Cortale Productions

What it's about: This program is a smorgasbord of four short plays that are dramatic snapshots of gay life and relationships.

The first, “Madame Executrix” (by Asher-Best), is a quick trip to the afterlife, where a recently departed couple (Joseph MacDougall and Tommy Walsh) are treated to a visit from MacDougall’s character’s sister Natalie (Sara Bleything), who is tidying up their grave site and contemplating how to dispose of her brother’s possessions. This is a chance for the trio to hash over their relationships. (In case you were wondering, there’s still sibling rivalry on the other side.) The piece ends with Bleything’s quite pleasant rendition of “I’ll Be Seeing You.”

The second, “Look What You Made Me Do” (by Sturner), is a look at the build-up and deterioration of a relationship between two women, Grace and Brenda (Bleything and Samantha McMahon). They are trying vainly to stay connected as social, financial and pandemic-related pressures tear at the seams of their union — proof that the pandemic has sent all kinds of relationships to the ICU.

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In the fourth play, “Pulse” (by Van Sant), a family (made up of the show’s four principal actors) gathers at a Gays Against Guns rally a year after the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. Isabelle (McMahon) had been seriously injured in the shooting and is struggling to find her way back into the mainstream of life. The physical and emotional wounds of the whole family are in sharp relief.

Highlight of the show: The real knock-out punch of the quartet is the aptly named “Black Eye” (written by Dalglish and performed third in the line-up). MacDougall, as an aging gay man dressed in tight black leather and cruising along the highway, picks up a couple of young guys staggering along the road after a night at the local gin joint. The audience is in the driver’s head as he makes eye contact via the rearview mirror with his prey (the sober one of the two passengers) and looks for a go-ahead signal. What follows is MacDougall’s powerful meditation on how desire and danger blend to create an explosive mixture.

See it or not: Go for four powerful looks at human nature and relationships. But be aware this is heavy fare.

Worth noting: The show premiered briefly last spring in Provincetown before the troupe in May took the program to the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival, where it was a finalist for four awards. Not surprisingly, “The Black Eye” earned a nod for best play, with MacDougall nominated for best actor.

Interesting fact: All the playwrights are Cape Cod artists.

One more thing: You’ll need your mask and vaccination cards for admittance.

If you go: 7 p.m. Sept. 14, 20 and 21 at The Art House, 214 Commercial St., Provincetown; $25-$35; 508-487-9222, https://provincetownarthouse.com/

“The Fantasticks”

By Barbara Clark

Written by: Book and lyrics by Tom Jones, music by Harvey Schmidt; directed by David Elliott; presented by Cape Playhouse

What it’s about: This record-breaking 1960s musical tells a whimsical coming-of-age story that uses time-honored theater traditions to present a Boy, a Girl and a romance, complete with obstacles. Through the years, “The Fantasticks” has remained true to the simplicity of its original concept, with its cast of nearly-real characters, who could almost be players in a friendly traveling carnival troupe, performing their fantasy of romance and reality. It’s a magical story with deep roots that has continued to resonate with audiences over time.

See it or not: See it for the fun of its poetry, with snap-your-fingers lines tuned into the beat rhythms of the late 1950s. See this production for its unique stage design, set off with sparkling lights and lava-lamp colors of purple, blue, red and glowing fuchsia. Enjoy the simple, familiar score that will tug your memory with songs like “Try to Remember” and the sublime “They Were You.” But most of all, see it — or rather, hear it — just for the bliss of savoring a cast of phenomenal voices, each topping the one before.

Highlights: The vocal performances in this show are simply sensational, especially shining in the show’s numerous duets. The Boy (an exceptional Levin Valayil) and Girl (a glorious Rebekkah Vega-Romero) top the charts with the perfectly pitched “Metaphor” and “Soon It’s Gonna Rain,” each song with challenging key changes. El Gallo (David Hughey) thrills in “I Can See It” in a virtuoso exchange with the Boy. The Fathers (William Thomas Evans and Eric Michael Gillett) are funny, skillful, tuned-in performers as they share “Never Say No” and “Plant a Radish” — the latter perhaps reminiscent of the classic Two Men duo in “Kiss Me Kate.”

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Intriguing fact: The show’s iconic orchestral effects have continued through the years, becoming in effect another main character. The original score called for harp and piano, and here, director David Elliott has topped them off with a little percussion to accentuate the production’s unique rhythm.

Worth noting: “The Fantasticks,” which opened in 1960, is the world’s longest-running musical of all time, running Off-Broadway for 17,162 performances, then adding another 4,390 at The Jerry Orbach Theater before finally bringing down the curtain. The show also holds the record for the longest uninterrupted running of a show of any kind in the United States.

One more thing: The Cape Playhouse show’s “minor” roles offer major pleasure. Charity Van Tassel may be quiet, but she’s plenty expressive and beguiling as The Mute, who watches over the cast as they stumble through their growing pains. Christopher Gurr as the forgetful Old Actor and Jonathan Spivey as his cockney cohort The Man Who Dies are simply grand, lighting up the stage with their gentle humor.

If you go: 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Sept. 17, with matinees at 2 p.m. Sept. 14-15 at Cape Playhouse, Route 6A, Dennis. Tickets: $45-$80. Reservations: 508-385-3911, or http://www.capeplayhouse.com/

‘The Revolutionists’

By Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll

Written by: Lauren Gunderson; directed by Megan Nussle; presented by Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater

What it’s about: This very pointed comedy puts a new perspective on history as it focuses on the female point of view in 1793 Paris during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. In a fictional meeting and paean to sisterhood and women taking a stand — sororité to fight fraternité —  four women try to use words and actions to change the world for the better while facing the threat of the guillotine. Three are historical characters: playwright Olympe de Gouges (Christina Leidel); assassin Charlotte Corday (Hannah Hakim), killer of radical and deadly leader Jean-Paul Marat; and deposed queen Marie Antoinette (Paige O’Connor). Plus there’s Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle (Andreá Bellamore), a composite character representing free Black revolutionaries fighting France’s slavery in what was then the resource-rich Saint Domingue.

See it or not: Gunderson’s fast-moving and fast-talking play is a torrent of ideas potently mixed with laughs. The WHAT production is as absorbing as it is supremely entertaining, with a quartet of standout performances under Nussle’s stellar direction. This centuries-old “history” play first produced in 2015 is unfortunately up to the minute as it references fighting for women’s agency over their own bodies, and offers an important reminder to notice who has been telling the history you hear – and how often it has not been women. “Don’t settle for the stories they’re giving you” is one of dozens of key lines that could help some people reconsider what they think they know.

Highlights of the show: The cast and Nussle have succeeded in making every single performance a tour de force, and the actresses make you care very much about this convincing, often passionate and powerful quartet. And as much as you’ll laugh, there is also raw emotion here. While the script becomes somewhat overlong and repetitive in Act 2 – focusing too much on how theater and artistic activism can change thinking when the point has been made – the characters and the believable connection created between them and with the audience keep you riveted.

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Leidel’s appealing Olympe struggles between her desire for audience approval of her rare artistic success as a woman, her desire to use her words to save her beloved France, and her paralyzing fear for her own safety. Hakim’s Charlotte is full of fiery good intentions, courageous yet reckless in her need to sacrifice herself because Marat must be stopped. Bellamore creates Marianne as the quartet’s steady and determined heart, focusing the women on doing what’s right even as she suffers personally and pushes that people remember the freedom and equality being fought for in France should also extend to their Black slaves. O’Connor’s Marie Antoinette is hilarious in her early self-absorption, but also endearing when she adds important warmth and compassion to the humor as she realizes the potential of these women.

Fun facts: Gunderson, who lists herself on her website as playwright/screenwriter/feminist, was named the most produced playwright in America by American Theatre Magazine in both 2017 and 2019/2020. Nussle, making her WHAT debut, is founding artistic director of Campfire Quorum, a new nonprofit theater company currently “camped out” (and usually creating outdoor productions) on the Outer Cape.

One more thing: David Orlando’s lighting design, and the sound design by Grace Oberhofer (who says in her program bio that she “likes to tell stories about women — either real or imagined — who are not perfect but rather, amazing”) add crucial and often clever atmosphere and drama that take the overall production to a higher level.

If you go: 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 17 on the Julie Harris Stage at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, 2357 Route 6; $25-$40 with discounts for seniors and $15 for students; 508-349-9428, http://www.what.org/.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod theater: 'Quickies,' 'Sunshine Boys,' 'Fantasticks,' more