By Michael S. Foster
originally published: 02/17/2020
Neil Simon, one Broadway’s most beloved and successful playwrights would have been extremely proud of Centenary Stage Company’s production of The Sunshine Boys. The play first premiered on Broadway in 1972. It is a story of Al Lewis and Willie Clark. Lewis and Clark were once a successful Vaudevillian comedy duo known as the Sunshine Boys. In the later years of their 43 year run, animosity grew between the partners and they ceased to speak to each other. Eventually Al Lewis would retire from show business, leaving Willie Clark struggling to keep his dreams of the stage afloat.
Fast forward 11 years, the play opens with Willy, An old man who is struggling with memory loss, accepting an offer from his Nephew and Talent agent Ben Silverman to reunite with his partner, Lewis for a CBS special on the history of comedy. Willie and Al meet in Willie's apartment to rehearse their classic doctor sketch. The reunion gets off to a bad start, with the two getting into heated arguments over various aspects of the performance. However, thanks to the urging of Al's daughter, the two decide to go through with the performance.
Willie and Al's dress rehearsal at CBS' studio is derailed by Lewis's aggressive habit of poking Clarke's chest with his index finger and spitting at him every time he says a word that has a "T" in it. One of the running gags in the play is Willie’s bitterness of being constantly poked in the chest by Lewis’ forefinger in the course of their countless routines At one point, Willie exclaims” I had a black and blue hole in my chest, He gave me the finger for 43 years!” As Lewis storms of the stage in annoyance, Clark suffers a heart attack as a result of flustered state.
Two weeks later, Willie is recovering under the care of a registered nurse. Upon Ben's recommendation, he decides to move into an actors' retirement home in New Jersey. Al, concerned about Willie's well-being, makes a visit. When the two talk, it is revealed that Al will be moving into the same home as Willie. Back together again!.
Centenary Stage’s production is directed by Keith Baker. Mr. Baker’s vision of The Sunshine Boys evokes a vision of yesteryear that made this reviewer yearn for the good ol’ days. Under his direction, the actors evoked a sense of human struggle, The struggle to be loved and adored, the struggle to mend broken relationships, and most importantly the struggle to find hope. The overall esthetic of the show encompasses an under lying love story that the characters need a lifetime to realize.
Carl Wallnau, who plays Willie Clark, is no stranger to the stage which was evident by his interpretation of Willie Clark. His portrayal of vaudevillian actor conjured the character’s lust to be once again in the limelight. This reviewer felt the thirst Willie had to be once again in front of the footlights. Wallnau and his stage mate, stage veteran David Edwards, who plays Al Lewis were excellent together. Their comedic timing was impeccable, reminiscent of the great Abbott and Costello and Monty Python. Their acting was seamless as if they had worked to together for 43 years. Wallnau and Edwards kept the audience enthralled and laughing at their characters antics.
Jason Silverman, who portrayed Willie Clark’s Nephew Ben Silverman, played the straight man to Wallnau’ Clark. The audience could feel the love of a nephew mixed with frustration of taken care of the elderly client. Silverman’s performance hit home with this reviewer, knowing well how frustrating it is to care for a loved one with memory loss.
The rest of the cast is made of the Reva Jamison, who portrayed the no nonsense registered nurse, the stunning and beautiful Burlesque nurse, played by Emaline Williams Gabriel Landes, Kevin Wehrhan, and Ryan Robert Washington who played Eddie, TV Assistant, Directors voice and man patient respectively.
Hats off to set designer Matthew Imhoff for such an exquisite set. It subtly became another character in the story of The Sunshine Boys.
The Centenary Stage Company’s production of The Sunshine Boys was a delight from beginning to end. It transported this reviewer to a simpler more nostalgic time. This show is a must see. The Sunshine Boys runs from February 14 through March 1. Enter!!! And enjoy the show.
Centenary Stage Company’s production of Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys continues its run now through March 1 in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center at 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, NJ on the campus of Centenary University.
Photos by Chris Young
George Street Playhouse Presents Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two-woman Show
Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJWritten by and starring
Vicki Lawrence Two Performances Only
Vicki Lawrence, the legendary actress, comedian, and singer, brings her signature wit and charm to the stage in Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show. Best known for her iconic role as Thelma Harper, or "Mama," from The Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family, Lawrence delivers a hilarious and heartfelt performance that takes audiences on a journey through her extraordinary career. From her Emmy-winning years alongside Carol Burnett to her chart-topping hit, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” she shares behind-the-scenes stories, comedy, and music—all with her trademark humor. Whether reminiscing about her Hollywood adventures or embodying the feisty Mama, Lawrence proves that laughter is timeless.
Kean Department Of Theatre Presents "the Drowsy Chaperone"
Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJMusic and lyrics by
Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Princeton’s Famous Triangle Show: Roswell That Ends Well
Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 8:00pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
91 University Place, Princeton, NJIf you’re feeling all alone in the universe – or even if you’re not – Triangle’s newest musical comedy is for you! Join us as Triangle explores what it means to have friends in high – or should we say “sky”? – places. Extraterrestrial visitors, crazy conspiracy theories, and intergalactic shenanigans power this year’s annual laugh-fest of witty jokes, lavish production numbers, and, of course, Triangle’s famous kickline. Can interplanetary goodwill blossom in the dystopian desert of our current times? Get your Triangle tickets now and learn if
Roswell That Ends Well!
George Street Playhouse Presents Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two-woman Show
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 2:00pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJWritten by and starring
Vicki Lawrence Two Performances Only
Vicki Lawrence, the legendary actress, comedian, and singer, brings her signature wit and charm to the stage in Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show. Best known for her iconic role as Thelma Harper, or "Mama," from The Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family, Lawrence delivers a hilarious and heartfelt performance that takes audiences on a journey through her extraordinary career. From her Emmy-winning years alongside Carol Burnett to her chart-topping hit, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” she shares behind-the-scenes stories, comedy, and music—all with her trademark humor. Whether reminiscing about her Hollywood adventures or embodying the feisty Mama, Lawrence proves that laughter is timeless.
Kean Department Of Theatre Presents "the Drowsy Chaperone"
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJMusic and lyrics by
Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
EVENT PREVIEWS
Spotlight Players presents "The Addams Family"
(MATAWAN, NJ) -- Spotlight Players presents The Addams Family across two weekends from November 6-15, 2026 at the First Presbyterian Church of Matawan. There's one weekend left to see everyone's favorite wonderfully unconventional family on stage.
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(HAMPTON, NJ) -- Hunterdon Hills Playhouse presents Christmas at the Playhouse 2026 from November 10 to December 20, 2026. Celebrate the season with this spectacular holiday production filled with the music, memories, and traditions audiences have cherished through the years.
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Middlesex College presents "She Kills Monsters"
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Lomotion Live presents "Etiquette" by David Lee White
(BOONTON, NJ) -- Lomotion Live presents Etiquette, a timely and biting comedy by playwright David Lee White, directed by Lauren Moran. The production will run November 13–15, 2026 at Lomotion Live at Parsippany Arts Center in Boonton.
NJ Rep presents Theatre Brut Short Play Festival 2026: "Through The Window"
(LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- What happens when we look through a window? Do we see the world as it really is, the world as we wish it could be, or something we never expected? New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) invites audiences to discover the unexpected with NJ Rep presents Theatre Brut Short Play Festival 2026: "Through The Window" a festival of eight original short plays presented over two weekends, November 13–15 and November 20–22, 2026 at the West End Arts Center in Long Branch.
