Neil Simon’s witty comedy Plaza Suite at Sunset Playhouse features a stellar cast with great comedic timing. The play is comprised of three different scenes that take place in room 719 at the New York Plaza Hotel during the late ’60s. Though each story is standalone, there is a common theme that ties them together: relationship struggles.
We first meet Hollywood producer Jesse, superbly characterized by Matt Zembrowski. He invites a high school girlfriend, Muriel (Lori Nappe), to visit him while in town at the Plaza Hotel with obvious implications that he’s looking to “get some.” Nappe’s Muriel is perfectly quirky and hilarious—a married woman with kids trying to be coy and faithful but seemingly unable to reject advances from her teenage lover. It becomes clear she’s been obsessively following him ever since he became a star. Zembrowski is suave and extremely convincing as the seducer without coming off as creepy. One of Jesse’s many attempts to get Muriel in bed is a spot-on woe-is-me routine performed with melodramatic subtlety.
The second scene features Nancy Domres and Glenn Villa as Karen and Sam Nash, a middle-aged couple celebrating their marriage anniversary. Karen booked room 719 at the Plaza while their house is being painted because that’s where they spent their honeymoon. A telling line from Karen as she speaks with the Bell Hop is, “Old is no good anymore; everything has to be new.” Her husband finally comes home from work (only to continue working) and is immediately on Karen’s case, though she remains amicable and forgives his ill temper again and again. We find that Sam has been cheating on Karen with a younger woman and the acute argument that follows is lightened with laugh out loud jabs at one another. Domres and Villa share a thought-provoking, heartfelt dynamic and have excellent emotional build from start to finish.
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The final act is about a bride freaking out before her wedding day. Mimsey has locked herself in the bathroom and refuses to come out at the plea of her frazzled mother Norma, played convincingly by Joan End. Norma finally calls her husband for help and Roy, in a stand-out performance by Raffaello Frattura, goes to great lengths trying to get her little girl to come out—including scaling the side of the building in attempts to enter through the bathroom window. Frattura channels his inner Curly during his angry tantrums, fuming to Norma about the money he’s spending on the wedding while they cajole their daughter to open the door. Both parents come to realize that Mimsey is simply scared to become like them—a couple that bickers over everything—and just needs a little reassurance from her fiancé.
Dana Fralick’s set design is impressive. The circa 1968 hotel room is replicated by a maroon-painted panel backdrop with appropriate grey-and-black paintings, two doors and four windows with a believable seventh-story view. Additionally, costumes by Colleen Geddes set the era without being distracting—compliments to Norma’s wonderful pastel-swirl overcoat.
Director Brian Zelinski’s fourth production of Plaza Suite is side-splitting and worth a see. Show runs through June 21 at 800 Elm Grove St., Elm Grove. For tickets, call 262-782-4430 or visit sunsetplayhouse.com.
