Barefoot in the Park

Neil Simon's first runaway hit (the 1963 Broadway production ran nearly four years) follows a young couple through the complicated transition from being in love to being married and in love. Its winning quality comes in part from the way the characters sound young (not always the same as being young). Laura Linney and Eric Stoltz bring out the sounds and rhythms of youth in Simon's dialogue. Linney's Corrie is sincere, pleading, honest, and loving but also prone to pouting overstatement. Stoltz's Paul, a young lawyer, pretends to a greater maturity than he has, and Stoltz reveals the transparent dignity of this nervous beginner. An energetic, pleasing performance. G.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine