Review: Asolo Rep provides some laughs in area premiere of comedy ’Grand Horizons’

No words are spoken in the first few minutes of Bess Wohl’s comedy “Grand Horizons” at Asolo Repertory Theatre.

We don’t have to be told that Nancy and Bill have been married for 50 years as they go through the motions of getting dinner on the table in their blandly stylish home in an active lifestyle Florida retirement community.

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With the practiced precision of two people who have been through this routine thousands of times, they put out the plates, fill the water glasses and serve themselves pot roast and mashed potatoes. She is right there at the exact moment with the ice cubes for his tumbler of Jack Daniels, and Nancy is also quick to grab the salt when Bill starts shaking away. And for a final flourish, they unfurl their napkins and place them on their laps as they begin to eat in silence.

Actors Suzanne Grodner and Peter Van Wagner go through these moves so naturally, you instantly believe they, too, have been together half a century. But what first seems calmly normal suddenly takes a turn as Nancy looks up and matter of factly states, “I think I would like a divorce.” Bill barely reacts before responding “All right.”

And before you know it their two grown sons and a very pregnant daughter-in-law arrive in a nearly apoplectic state hoping to solve this surprising riddle and get their parents back together.

These are the opening moments in Wohl’s light, sitcom-ish comedy, which generates a few hearty, surprising laughs (sprinkled with sexual frankness) along with a bit of heart. The play may not dig deep, but in this well-paced and acted production, director Celine Rosenthal and her cast provide substance and meaning to make you care about the characters and what they’re going through.

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Amid the laughs, Wohl has something to say about the importance of open and honest expressions of feelings, desires and needs. This is a family that has bottled all that up for decades. Nancy, after a lifetime of working as a librarian, raising her two children and caring for her pharmacist husband, is ready to stand up for herself.

But their kids, who have plenty of unresolved issues themselves, are not having it, primarily because the news is so unexpected. They become children again to keep mommy and daddy together.

Grodner, returning to Asolo Rep after a long absence, is a delight as Nancy, who we watch blossom, even as she reverts to natural maternal instincts in key moments. At one point, she fixes Bill a sandwich with a big smiley face on the bag, just as she must have done every day for her sons, Ben and Brian.

Van Wagner, who understudied the role on Broadway, plays Bill as a man content to just carry on. Secrets revealed along the way may slightly alter how you view their relationship.

John Rapson, as the oldest son, Ben, an attorney, is believably anxious, overly stressed and wanting to be in control of his parents’ lives, even as he deals with troubles in his own home with his therapist wife, Jess, portrayed by FSU/Asolo Conservatory student Dayna Lee Palya. Jess tries to stay out of it, but can’t help to intervene while stirring up more problems.

Zachary Prince plays the long-tormented younger brother, Brian, a gay teacher who has his own trouble with intimacy and relationships. All of them have a strong scene or two, particularly Rapson, that reveal their character’s struggles, though the subjects don’t dig below the surface.

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Lance Spencer is flirty and grounded in his brief appearance as a guy Brian picks up, and Elise Santora rounds out the cast as a feisty and lively former receptionist who provides a sharp contrast to the more buttoned-up Nancy.

The set by Brian Prather looks just like any number of homes you might see around Florida, and Mika Eubanks dresses the characters in smart, casual contemporary clothes that give a hint to their personalities.

The comedy could offend some with sensitive tastes, but thankfully Rosenthal and her cast bring something extra to make the characters and situations seem natural and instantly recognizable.

‘Grand Horizons’

By Bess Wohl. Directed by Celine Rosenthal. Reviewed Jan. 21, Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. In repertory through April 1. Tickets start at $29. 941-351-8000; asolorep.org

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: ’Grand Horizons’ runs through April1 at Sarasota's Asolo Repertory Theatre