The Boys Next Door

University Theatre Season Opener

"The Boys Next Door" is a play written by Tom Griffin and directed by Dr. Robert Dillon. The production focuses on the lives of four mentally challenged men - Norman, Lucien, Barry and Arnold. The four are played by Mike Culbertson, Roman Smith, Dan Graul and Frank Zito. They live in a communal residence under the watchful eye of a sincere, but increasingly despairing, social worker (portrayed by Derek McCarty).

Various moments throughout the show let the audience see through the eyes of the characters themselves, allowing a view from within these minds. "(Something) that continues to impress me about the play is the suggestion that these 'simple' men and women in fact live lives as complex as my own", Dillon said. "(They) dream dreams, fall in love, know fear and toil and hope and rest and, well, all of it." Filled with humor, the play is marked by the compassion and understanding with which it peers into the half-lit world of its handicapped protagonists.

Performances are held at the Forrest H. Rose Theatre on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University, October 2-6, 8pm with a matinee at 2 pm on Sunday, October 7. For more information call the box office, (573)651-2265.