On the first Tuesday of each month, the Wallingford Public Library Play Readers gather at the WPL to do read-throughs of popular plays, monologues, skits, and even movie scenes. To celebrate their fifth anniversary and as a tribute to Neil Simon, who passed away last year, the WPL Play Readers chose for this month’s show, which took place this past Tuesday, to perform five scenes from Neil Simon’s The Good Doctor (based on works of writer Anton Chekhov) in a stage reading with costumes and props.
The scenes chosen for this performance featured a diverse selection that focuses on different seemingly mundane but creative interactions. The involvement of light-hearted comedy in each scene promotes its appeal to the community and is sure to increase audience involvement during the performance. “The Audition,” starring Neel Pizinger and Terry Remeika, showcases the comedic dynamic between a stern casting director and a naive, rambling young girl. It is full of laughs and simplicity, while “The Governess,” featuring Renee Geiger and Helen Miller, seems to have a hidden lesson behind it that leaves the audience still searching for answers. As a special, the cast has also included the famous routine “Who’s on First,” presented by Eddie Morales and David Andrews, which provided the perfect lively and energetic ending to a fabulous evening. The performance provided a wonderful opportunity for the community to appreciate and honor the work of a prominent playwright all the while supporting the hard work and effort of a local group.
Getting this show organized and approved was a difficult task that was greatly aided by the library staff. “The library helps to provide the space, secure licensing rights, design promotional fliers, and print photocopies of the script,” explained Ms. Julie Rio, the Adult Programming and Community Services Librarian of the Wallingford Public Library. “We’re very fortunate to have this facility. We owe the town of Wallingford and the library for this performance,” continued Mr. Al Mueller, one of the first members of the Play Readers. Additionally, the Play Readers only had two rehearsals to prepare for the show, but the actors have been able to dig deep into the mindsets of their fascinating characters. “I like to deal with characters and getting into the feelings of the person. You read the lines and you get an idea of how that person might say it,” commented Ms. Remeika. “Simon seems to have a real knack for creating characters and dialogue. He was obviously a very prolific and talented writer; the characters are very true to life,” complimented David Andrews, a first-time reader of Simon’s work. “For a good play [like The Good Doctor], you know the people, and it speaks to the human condition, all its hits or misses, glories or losses,” continued Helen Miller.
This unique group of a dozen or so locals formed five years ago after a couple of members met through an acting workshop. What is especially unique about this organization is that their primary mission is not to showcase their work for others but rather to appreciate the literature that they are reading. “We read for ourselves. We want to use our voice to create characters that lift the words off the page and make them as real as we possibly can,” explained Mr. Mueller.
From retired teachers to Shakespeare aficionados to long-time performers, the participants have a variety of background experience and performance styles, but all have a passion for theater. “I love to perform. I love to read aloud — I love the voice and tempo changes. I just got hooked,” said Carol Buongirno, a Play Readers member of almost four years. “I’m also part of a banjo group and I love the attention, the reaction from the audience that you get from performing,” added Joe Bertini, a retired math teacher. For Terry Remika, this group gives her the opportunity to pursue a dream that she wasn’t able to before. “I always loved actors in movies and radios and plays and never had the nerve to get up in front of anybody, but after getting through cancer a few years back, I started thinking about the things I always wanted to do but never got to,” she reflected.
Although meetings are only monthly, this group has been able to form a tight bond with one another that fosters constructive feedback and encouragement. “We don’t criticize. We accept what people are willing and able to offer. We’re not professionals. We’re not trying to be professionals. We just want to have fun,” conveyed Mueller. Working together to determine blocking, timing, and stage effect, the members communicate and collaborate in a respectful and positive environment as they are brought even closer together through their mutual love and interest in their art. Renee Geiger, a performer whose involvement in drama goes back to when she was just 21, said, “Even just [those] couple hours, one day a month — it’s fulfilling. Not only do I like to do my parts, but I enjoy hearing the others; there are so many talented people in this group that hearing them is like going to a play for free.”
