NEIL SIMON

Profile raises curtain on season of Simon

By Jewish Review

article created on: 2008-09-15T00:00:00

Profile Theatre’s year of Neil Simon opens next month with a full production of “Fools.”

In “Fools,” Leon Tolchinsky is an ambitious young schoolteacher come to the Russian village of Kulyenchikov, which he discovers is suffering under a curse of stupidity called down upon the town’s citizens 200 years earlier by a father whose son committed suicide when the boy’s illiteracy caused the father of the girl he loved to deny the boy access to his daughter.

Tolchninsky discovers that he himself will fall victim to the curse, which also includes the inability to love, unless he is able to educate Sophia whose distant relative was the young girl whose off-limits status led to the suicide and the initiation of the curse.

Tolchinsky relies on his wile and cunning to address the problem. He feigns stupidity, but ultimately instructs his Sophia and wins her hand and the curse is broken.

Fools opened on Broadway at the Eugene O’Neil Theater in April 1981 under the direction of Mike Nichols.

According to one report, “Fools” was written as the result of an agreement Simon made with his wife during their divorce proceedings.

She was promised the profits of his next play, so he attempted to write something that never would last on Broadway. Given that the play closed after 40 performances, he may have succeeded.

However, since then the play has enjoyed a strong revival and even was transformed into a musical for at least one production.

“Fools” will open at Portland’s Profile Theatre Oct. 15 and run through Nov. 16.

Profile will present four full productions of Simon plays and seven staged readings.

Tickets, FlexPasses and subscriptions for Profile Theatre’s 2008-09 season went on sale July 1.

They may be purchased by calling 503-242-0080 or visiting www.profiletheatre.org online.

All performances take place at Theater! Theater!, 3430 SE Belmont
Avenue.