by Alex Brooks
Hubbard Hall has opened a new show, Neil Simon’s The Good Doctor. Though not one of Simon’s best plays, it had a successful run on Broadway and has been prominently revived a number of times since. Clearly, the attraction for the Hubbard Hall crew is its connection to Chekhov. A fascination with Chekhov has been a hallmark of the Hubbard Hall oeuvre.
This play, based on Chekhov’s stories rather than his plays, is a curious amalgam of the lighthearted Simon and the dark, brooding Chekhov. At its best, it finds the humor in Chekhov that often eludes American audiences; at other times, it’s just strange. In form it is a series of short sketches held together only by the central character called “The Narrator” who is a composite of Simon and Chekhov. Though perhaps a little cheeky of Simon to combine himself with a writer of Chekhov’s Olympian stature, the device leads into the play’s organizing theme, a meditation on writers and writing.
The sketches which make up the action of the play, 13 of them, are uneven, both in the writing and the performance. The first act, in particular, seemed to drag on too long for this observer, with 7 sketches, only two of which I found engrossing. The high point of the first act was a sketch in which a fellow meets his revered boss at the theatre and sneezes on the back of his neck, and subsequently can’t stop apologizing. It is both funny and a bit horrifying watching his compulsion turn an insignificant moment into a disaster. Jason Dolmetsch as the sneezer and Benjie White as the boss, develop the scene with great elan. The final sketch of the first act, a tutorial on seduction of a married woman, brings excellent performances from Brian Gillespie, an Actors Equity professional brought in to take the lead role of the Narrator, and Anastasia Satterthwaite, a very talented Hubbard Hall regular.
The second act is a bit stronger and more consistent. All of the sketches are entertaining and there are many laughs to be had. The best of the bunch is an uproarious turn by Kim Johnson-Turner and Hubbard Hall’s resident clown, Doug Ryan, in which her character manages to wheedle money to which she is not entitled out of a gout-stricken bank official, just by carrying on in his office until he can’t take it anymore.
Although not all of the sketches are top-notch, this show is well worth spending an evening on. There are quite a few entertaining sketches, a lot of laughs, and a few sketches that are moments of unforgettable theatre.
Remaining performances are Nov 21, 22, 28 and Dec 5 & 6 at 8 pm, and Nov 23, & 30 and Dec 7 at 2 pm. Tickets are $24 for non-members, $20 for Hubbard Hall members, and $15 for students. For reservations call 518-677-2495.