One of my measures of a successful theater experience is how much it makes you think after the performance. This kind of statement can sound condescending, since it appears to slight plays with less depth. It’s not intended that way. There is absolutely nothing wrong with work whose only goal is to entertain.
Indeed, sometimes a play written for that purpose can also enlighten. “BOCA,” a play by Jessica Provenz, playing at Curtain Call Theater in Latham through December 17, is, oddly, that kind of experience.
It’s hard to find work seeming more slight than “BOCA.” It started life as a part of a 10-minute play festival at Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, MA. It was expanded into a longer play by adding several more 10 minute scenes. The end result is a series of skit-like bursts of storytelling.
It uses 10 characters played by five actors to show different types of older individuals going through senior angst. Most are shallow, but cumulatively the scenes provide a look at people facing dramatic change while not wanting to lose those characteristics which have defined than as unique.
The play takes place in a retirement community, BOCA Oasis. There the residents have mostly comical issues about adjusting to a new way of life. An important attribute of the work is it never denigrates the characters for the sake of a laugh. It’s a rather remarkable achievement as a couple of premises are silly and others flirt with parody.
For instance, one woman visits a recent widower (who the female population terms “new meat”) and at gunpoint forces him to taste her lasagna. Her thinking is that her cooking prowess gives her an edge on the competition.
Another has two female residents fleeing the Oasis by pulling a Thelma and Louise road trip. One of the best is the opener which has Moe, the eternal pessimist, talking with his friend Marty,who sees the bright side of everything.
As entertainment, “BOCA” is neither good enough to urge people to see, or shallow enough to discourage attendance. It’s pleasant in its simplicity. Nonetheless, for those craving depth most of the work depends on low stakes conflict.
Which is why I found myself surprised that the play lingered in my mind well after the performance. Perhaps being of a certain age myself, it makes the dilemmas of the characters relatable.
Or, there are enough truthful observations in the work to think of the mass of people who must deal with identity issues later in life. I found a hidden truth in this play that relates to every age group. Those most resistant to change and accepting new realities are the least happy people in the play.
Theater has been grappling with the portrayal of elderly individuals for decades. But with the population growing older it becomes an even more complicated issue. Except for “ King Lear,” I’m not sure that definitive play about resisting change late in life has yet been written.
For sure it isn’t “BOCA.” However, through comedic devices, the play permits director David Bunce to hint that true comedy is disguised reality. The play’s appeal is not just serving a specialized market. The concerns of an older population are also the concerns of an entire society. Anyone I know of retirement age feels blessed if their health and finances free them from being a burden on their children.
As for a more ominous reality, the play does not avoid the truth that death is always hovering at the Oasis. However, it does not dwell on it in a dark way. Actually, it takes a humorous approach to the subject. As it is for most people in this age bracket, death is more an inevitability than it is a fear.
“BOCA” makes clear that dwelling on the mostly trivial aspects of life is not such a bad thing as one ages. It’s a sign that the serious side of life hasn’t overwhelmed you. The play says there is nothing wrong with not acting your age.
The production emphasizes the message of positivity about growing older by using a cast in the same age bracket of the characters. The company consists of Pat Brady, Susan Katz, Melissa Putterman Hoffman, Gary Hoffman and Dennis Skiba. Most of them have been mainstays of community theater for many decades. To see them each performing at such a high level of skill is inspirational and reason enough to see “BOCA” before it closes on December 17. For schedule and ticket information go to curtaincalltheatre.com
Bob Goepfert is theater reviewer for the Troy Record.
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