Wednesday, February 9, 2005
By SASHA PAULSEN
Register Features Editor
When we last saw Eugene Morris Jerome, he was 15 years old and his over-riding ambitions in life were to play for the Yankees and see a naked woman.
That was in "Brighton Beach Memoirs," Dreamweavers production of the first of the autobiographical trilogy by Neil Simon. The hilarious hit, directed by Napa High's Sharon Rogers, starred, among others, Napa Superintendent of Schools Barbara Nemko as Eugene's mother. "Brighton Beach Memoirs," tells the story of a close-knit family through the diaries of the adolescent Eugene.
This weekend Dreamweavers opens the second installment of the trilogy, "Biloxi Blues," in which the aspiring writer Eugene is drafted in the waning days of World War II. Sent to a grueling boot camp in Biloxi, Miss., Eugene encounters the absurdities of Army life, including endless drills, chipped beef on toast, strange co-horts and a psychotic drill sergeant, Toomey, who seems to have a personal vendetta against the wise-cracking kid from Brighton Beach.
"Biloxi Blues," was the 21st play by Neil Simon to reach the Broadway stage in 24 years. Already an established comedic playwright, Simon turned, in the 1980s, to his own life for inspiration. "Biloxi Blues" won a Tony for Best Play in 1985.
A challenge to wineries
An underlying drama is also unfolding as Dreamweavers presents this comedy for the next three weekends: Their first production of the year may also be the last. The volunteer community theater troupe recently announced it had received an eviction notice for its theater in the River Park Shopping Center. Daryl Roberts, president of the board of directors of Dreamweavers, said the group, which depends on box office sales to pay the $5,000 a month rent, had come up short in the latter half of 2004, leaving it owing $40,000 in rent.
In response to recent news stories about Dreamweaver's financial crisis, Grgich Hills Cellar has donated $1,000 to the theatre and has issued an open challenge to other wineries and businesses in Napa Valley to match or exceed their generosity.
"We are extremely grateful to Grgich Hills for their $1,000 donation, and their desire to see community theatre thrive in Napa," Roberts said, "I hope other wineries and businesses will not let Grgich down, and will donate the same or more before the end of February."
Dreamweavers, which was founded in 1978, presented plays in the Sawyer Tannery before remodeling the River Park site into a theater in 2000. Although the theater had received several gifts of $1,000 to $5,000, Roberts said it depended on tickets sales for its major ongoing support.
Fund-raising is ongoing now to save the troupe, which includes a range of community members, including high school students, among its performers. Roberts said a strong turnout for "Biloxi Blues," will help, while the board of Dreamweavers revises its other planned productions.
"Biloxi Blues, opens Feb. 11 and productions continue on Feb. 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, March 3, 4. Times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 general/$12 students and seniors. For more information and reservations, call, 255-LIVE (5483).
The Dreamweavers Theater is located in the River Park Shopping Center behind Vallerga's.
From the Napa Register's website - © 2003, Pulitzer Newspapers, Inc.
