Director’s Notes A number of weeks ago, I was speaking to a friend of mine about “Prisoner”, and he commented that he often felt that Neil Simon material seemed dated. This is a valid observation. Simon’s work is very rooted in time and place, and his early works, especially those written as contemporary plays, reflect an era that is very far removed from today’s world. This is not the case with “Prisoner of Second Avenue.” First performed in 1971, if it weren’t for passing references to Richard Nixon and Nelson Rockefeller, this comedy could very easily be set in today. Mel and Edna, a middle aged married couple, find themselves forced to cope with lost jobs (for Mel, a layoff; for Edna, a bankrupt company), a heat wave, a garbage strike, an apartment robbery, noisy neighbors, a nervous breakdown, and well-meaning but insensitive relatives who haven’t got a clue how to provide meaningful help. Simon takes all of these dark elements, and a couple of others that I will purposely not mention, and blends them into a riotous comedy that will keep you laughing from start to finish, and will, along the way, give you a glimpse of the core human values we all share. Laugh, enjoy, and remember: There, but for the grace of God, go I.
Tom Littlefield