The Good Doctor

THE GOOD DOCTOR by Neil Simon (Concord Theatricals)
Directed by Bonnie Hill
September 16 – October 2, 2022

SUMMARY: This is not your typical Neil Simon! This Broadway hit is a composite of the snappy and clever dialogue indicative of Simon’s work and the sometimes outrageous, sometimes wistful, often ironic works of Anton Chekhov. In one sketch, a government clerk over-apologizes and has a nervous breakdown after accidentally sneezing on a general during a night out at the opera. In another sketch, a crafty seducer goes to work on a wedded woman, only to realize that the woman has been in command from the first overture. And then there’s the visit to the chair of a frighteningly overzealous Dentist. And let us not forget the classic tale of a man who offers to drown himself for three rubles. The stories are droll, the portraits affectionate, the humor infectious, and the fun unending. Sometimes absurd, sometimes melancholy, but always enjoyable, it is a modern take on the essence of Chekov featuring various comedic styles and characterizations.