Barney Cashman is middle-aged, married, and overworked. He has come to the realization that his whole life can be summed up in one word - “nice” - which simply is not enough. Barney is determined to have an affair. He tries three times:  the first, Elaine Navazio, proves to be a foul-mouthed bundle of neuroses; the next is Bobbi Michele, a young, kooky actress; and finally there is Jeanette Fisher, a gloomy, depressed housewife who happens to be married to Barney’s best friend. 

“Death is easy, but comedy is hard.” Uttered by an actor who might as well have been talking about
presenting Neil Simon. Wickedly fast paced intelligent dialogue with punchlines and setups! Set in the
groovy 1970’s! With comedy, as they say in the industry, “you either kill, or you die.” I love climbing
that mountain. I adore this mountain more because I know these people. In 1972 Neil Simon was about
47 and so is his hero. In 1972 my dad was 47. He, Mr. Simon and I all grew up in Brooklyn, New York.
We all played stoopball, went to public school, and all dreamed about playing for the New York Yankees.
The set is my grandmother’s apartment after grandpa died. You can set this play in outer space, but the
author distinctly puts these characters in this zeitgeist that I know and love and have deliriously enjoyed
bringing to you!

Fred Kaufman

Director

Last of the Red Hot Lovers