‘The Boys Next Door’ takes viewer along for the ride

Considering the resumes of the cast and the material they had to work with, I expected nothing less than a first-rate performance of “The Boys Next Door.” What I experienced was so much more.

In what seemed like a very short two hours, director Ricky Jones takes his characters, and thus his audience, through the full gamut of emotions. Admittedly, my own preconceived notions of the mentally disabled made me uneasy at the beginning of the performance. But as Jones masterfully flayed open the hearts of his characters, he took mine along for the ride as well.

Each of the four middle-aged men sharing an apartment functions at different levels. Nonetheless, in their own way, they share love, grief, anger, joy and passion for life. Arnold, the highest functioning of the four (Francis Tuau), is nervous, edgy, obsessive. Norman (John Galvan, relative newcomer who knocks it out of the park) is more reticent, loves his donuts, his keys that hang from his belt, and oh yes, the alluring Sheila (Leighanna Locke). Lucien (Reuben Carrion), the most challenged of the four, loves everyone and everything as only a young child can do. Barry (Dan Church), the golfer, is of a different cut — functioning yet deeply emotionally damaged.

“The Boys Next Door” made me laugh, made me cry, made me shudder in horror at times. But leaving the theater that night I realized that the gap between me and the characters on stage was not so great after all. Michael Blaz

Kihei