The Lion PLayers Theatre Company just completed three sell out performances of Neil Simon's autobiographical look at growing up in the 1930's entitled Brighton Beach Memoirs. The play examines his coping with the difficult teenage years and his relationships with his family members in the trying days just prior to World War II. The play was performed in Spring High's Black Box Theatre located on the Southeast corner of the school off Cypresswood Drive.

THE CAST:
Eugene............Allen Otto
Blanche...........Kaitlyn Rowney
Kate..............Kim Skinner
Laurie............Destiny Paden
Nora..............Erica Williams
Stanley...........Alecco Sleiman
Jake..............Glenn Evans
Stage Manager.....Lindsey Edwards

THE UNDERSTUDIES:
Patrick Elliot, Kim Gaulitz, Rachel Trate, and Christopher Morey.

This was the pre-show lighting setting revealing the set and props, as the audience took it's seat.

These were difficult items to find. This style of sneaker is still made today. The problem was to find a pair that was distressed enough. The glove proved to be more difficult. After a search of local antique stores, nothing that reflected the time period was found. Fortunately, my parents had saved mine after all these years!

Intimate venues, such as this, call for specific lighting. This allows a single area or a single character to be lighted independently. This gives us controll over the audiences' focus.

The "Kate" wallpaper pattern utilized five colors of paint. It began by scumbling together three shades of green to create the ground coat. Two custom stencils were cut and painted on top of the ground coat. Three colors of spatter coating were added later.

This wallpaper pattern utilized five colors in a striped pattern. It began with a ground coat of three earth tones scumbled together, and two different sets of stripes were painted on top. the yellow stripes were selected to connect Eugene to Nora. Three colors of spatter coating was added later.

The wallpaper pattern in this room was a floral design. We chose a ground coat of three yellows to reflect their youth. Four stencils were custom cut for this pattern. The flower color was selected to connect them with Kate.

The costumes should always reflect the time period, fashion, and customs of the day. Here, the "older boy" wears long pants, while the "younger boy" wears nickers above his knee.

The picture of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig on the wall was chosen to reinforce the character's absession with the New York Yankees.