Photo by Ross Zentner
Barefoot in the Park - Renaissance Theat
Neil Brookshire and Emily Vitrano in Renaissance Theaterworks’ production of “Barefoot in the Park” by Neil Simon.
A pair of newlyweds find bliss and marital bumps in the final play of Renaissance Theaterworks’ current season, Barefoot in the Park. The play, a Neil Simon classic, takes comedy to new levels in a production that opened last weekend and continues through April 12.
Photo by Ross Zentner
Barefoot in the Park - Renaissance Theaterworks (2026)
Jenny Wanasek, Neil Brookshire, Bob Balderson, Director Suzan Fete, Emily Vitrano, Mohammed N. ElBsat & Reese Madigan in Renaissance Theaterworks’ production of “Barefoot in the Park” by Neil Simon.
Although the laughs flow freely throughout this 1960s comedy, there’s a tinge of sadness to this production as well. It marks the retirement of Renaissance co-founder and artistic director Suzan Fete. This is her final production at Renaissance in her current capacity, and she ably directs this play with the expertise of a seasoned veteran.
Happily, Fete is abetted by some of Milwaukee’s acting favorites, including Emily Vitrano as Corrie, the young wife; Neil Brookshire as Paul, her husband; Jenny Wanasek, as Corrie’s mother; and Reese Madigan as the couple’s upstairs neighbor.
In a minor but memorable role, Mohammad N. ElBsat is the unfortunate telephone installer who must climb many flights of stairs to the couple’s walk-up Manhattan apartment. The stair climb is a recurring joke throughout the play, but the cast keeps fresh with breathless enthusiasm.
Neil Simon’s Broadway Bonanza
“Barefoot” may be best remembered as a 1967 film starring a young Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. Playwright Neil Simon would go on to write many more comedies, and he has the sole distinction of having four of his plays running concurrently on Broadway. In addition to Barefoot, these include Sweet Charity, The Star=Spangled Girl and The Odd Couple. In his lifetime, Simon won two Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for his work.
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His play Barefoot in the Park was a Broadway hit before it became a film, and the Renaissance production honors its origins. The play is set in its original 1960s time period, complete with a rotary phone and what is now considered mid-century modern furnishings. Kudos to props designer Jim Guy and set designer Jeffrey Kmiec, who creates the small, dingy Manhattan apartment in which the couple lives. Corrie’s attempts to brighten the lackluster apartment include a couple of hanging plants, two color-splashed throw pillows on the couch and a chic folding screen to separate the kitchen essentials from the miniscule dining table.
Photo by Ross Zentner
Barefoot in the Park - Renaissance Theaterworks
Emily Vitrano and Neil Brookshire in Renaissance Theaterworks’ production of “Barefoot in the Park” by Neil Simon.
Vitrano beams as the effervescent Corrie, who’s completely thrilled to be starting her life after six memorable days at the Plaza Hotel. Her far more pragmatic husband, played by Brookshire, is a more relatable figure. He comes home tired from his day at the law firm (and his trudge up the endless steps), only to be welcomed with an abundance of kisses and chatter from his attentive wife.
Brookshire’s sensible temperament is more aligned with Wanasek as Corrie’s mother. Vitrano, in turn, finds a kindred spirit in their colorful neighbor, Victor. As Victor, Madigan defines the quirky touches that make his character so wildly unpredictable. In one of the play’s best scenes, Victor arrives at the couple’s welcome party with a sizzling appetizer containing bits of eel. Wanasek’s polite acceptance of his gift is a stitch to watch.
Other contributors to this theatrical effort include Karin Kopischke’s spot-on costumes, lighting design by Noel Stollmack, and the work of sound designers Josh Schmidt and Martilia Marechal.
Marriage Entails a Lifetime of Compromise
As the audience chuckles its way through the zany episodes orchestrated by Corrie and Victor, there’s also an overwhelming sense that time and compromise will keep this young couple together. At least that’s the hope that Simon inspires through his wit and observations.
For a dose of laughter beneath the grim skies of Milwaukee’s spring, one cannot imagine a more uplifting antidote than enjoying this play.
“Barefoot in the Park” runs through April 12 at the same theater that serves as the home of Next Act Theatre, 255 S. Water St., in Milwaukee’s Harbor District. For tickets, visit rtwmke.org, or call the box office at (414) 278-0765.
