The Purple Rose bills A Jukebox for the Algonquin as a “serious comedy about sex, drugs, and rocking chairs,” and boy, does it deliver.
Photo: Sean Carter Photography
Written by Paul Stroili and directed by Suzi Regan, the play delves skillfully into the lives of rebellious residents and the dedicated staff who revolve in and out of the Algonquin Room. Here it’s a contemporary community room at the Placid Pines Senior Care Center in the Adirondacks—but it earns the title’s nod to the witty hangout of 1920s Manhattan.
When Johnny (Wallace Bridges) complains that the room needs a jukebox, a spirited group of residents conspire to raise funds for this musical marvel. His co-conspirator Dennis (John Seibert) dubs it “Project Stool Softener” because shifting the conversation to laxatives defends against prying ears.
Johnny himself is a larger-than-life personality, engaging in constant arguments with Josefina (MaryJo Cuppone), the center’s manager—and, it turns out, a childhood neighbor.
The most intense argument of the night, however, occurs between Peg (Susan Angelo), a newcomer to the community, and Josefina. When and how do we stop blaming others for our own intense emotions, the playwright seems to be asking. Do we ever really grow up? Does it matter if we don’t?
Dennis is a witty, Dorothy Parker–loving gay man who astutely narrates the events as they unfold in real time, making amusing headlines out of each development. “Maintenance man kills resident with snacks,” he quips from his wheelchair.
Then there’s Annie (Ruth Crawford), the Irish Catholic firecracker, a hula-hoop expert with a penchant for liberal causes. Her sharp wit consistently elicits the heartiest laughs of the evening. When someone suggests she has nothing to feel guilty about, she chirps back, “You don’t know much about the Catholic church, do you?”
Set design (Bartley H. Bauer) is sparse, and costuming (Suzanne Young) is natural. Superb acting ties it all together. It’s a good thing too, as the intimate setting of the theater puts all of us within five rows of the stage. Simply put, there’s nowhere to hide flaws at the Purple Rose.
A Jukebox for the Algonquin is a rollicking good time clothed in human skin. Aging, with all its triumphs and challenges, takes center stage, and from where I sat, this witty comedy-drama was a blast.
A Jukebox for the Algonquin runs through September 2 at Chelsea’s Purple Rose Theatre.
