Broadway Bound (Dramatization)

The last play in Simon's semiautobiographical Brighton Beach Trilogy, about aspiring writer "Eugene Jerome," starts Eugene toward marriage and a career in writing comedy as his nuclear family undergoes various forms of fission around him. There are no weak links in the performance ensemble, only strong and stronger, with JoBeth Williams the standout for her often-affecting, even powerful, depiction of Eugene's mother. Of course, she does get the juiciest moments in this mixture of humor and drama. This deft production, while not profound, moves and entertains. The infectious laughter of a live audience enhances the experience.