At Falls Church, Boys Will Be Boys

Throughout the school year, the Fairfax Extra publishes occasional reviews of high school shows, written by student critics under the guidance of faculty mentors, as part of the Critics and Awards Program, also known as the Cappies. The program, in its ninth season, recognizes the achievements of young performers, writers, directors and stage crews. For information online, visit www.cappies.com.

People with mental disabilities are often ignored, whether for how they speak, how they walk or how they look.

In its April 18 production of "The Boys Next Door," Falls Church High School explored the lives of mentally disabled people in group homes and revealed their similarities to the lives of everyone else.

"The Boys Next Door," by Tom Griffin, is a heart-wrenching, eye-opening journey into the world of four mentally challenged men sharing a home with their caretaker, Jack. Their afflictions differ. Arnold is very nervous, with a slight case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Barry, a schizophrenic, is convinced that he is a professional golfer. Norman is mentally disabled, works at a doughnut shop and has a girlfriend at another group home. Lucien has the most severe disability.

Amir Malekghasemi shone as Lucien, remaining consistent with speech affectations and physicality. Constantly interacting with his environment and others to keep things moving, Malekghasemi had obviously done his research. In the second act, his monologue kept the audience in silence.

Steven Szatkowski as Barry clearly showed the journey his character went through.

At some moments in the play, the technical aspects were less than perfect. Often lighting was slightly off mark, and the stage crew was too obvious and was distracting.

Both acts had many instances when the actors left the stage before the light went dark and broke character in their scene. A few performers at times laughed at themselves while trying to be funny.

Falls Church was surprising with its beautiful set and interpretation of Griffin's work, and although the production wasn't flawless, it was certainly enjoyable.

Ellen Winter,

Duke Ellington

Would you be upset if your next-door neighbors captured your pet hamster and flushed it down the toilet, thinking it was an intruding rat? Probably not, if your neighbors were the "The Boys Next Door," an irresistibly delightful group. There was never a dull moment in Falls Church High School's recent production of this amusing and thoughtful play.

"The Boys Next Door," by Tom Griffin, is a lighthearted comedy with a powerful message. It revolves around the residents of Stonehenge Villa Apartments, a group of developmentally disabled men with a knack for mischief.

Jack, the resident manager, is dedicated to maintaining a strong friendship with Arnold, Lucien, Barry and Norman, but it's not always easy for him to manage their antics. Whether Lucien is pulling a fire alarm or Arnold is flooding a bathroom sink, Jack is constantly trying to help them. Through their experiences, the characters learn from one another and grow.

As Jack, Peter Gillis demonstrated the complexity of his character's persona, mentioning his guilt for leaving the home for a new job and occasionally musing about his ex-wife. His monologues were delivered with clear diction and volume.

Each of the disabled men in the ensemble displayed unique and memorable personalities. Amir Malekghasemi portrayed Lucien with impressive talent, remaining in character as he struggled to sing the alphabet or nervously told an evaluating statesman, "I mean business!" Ian Mills conveyed Arnold's innocence with comedic threats of "I'm moving to Russia," and Samuel Johnson's depiction of Norman included foot-stamping and a doughnut obsession. Eric Holl revealed both the imagined pro golfer and the tormented son that made up the schizophrenic character of Barry; his intense encounter with his father was an impressive scene.

Clean technical work was demonstrated throughout the production. The lighting choices were well-timed, and the variety of sounds, including doorbells and dance music, was appropriate. The few rough and distracting transitions between some scenes did not detract from the overall performance.

Sincere humor, strong characterization and thought-provoking themes defined Falls Church's excellent production of "The Boys Next Door."

Jennifer Isakowitz,

Chantilly