“Barefoot in the Park,” February 10 through 19

Friday, February 10, through Sunday, February 19

Playcrafters Barn Theatre, 4950 35th Avenue, Moline IL

Opening its eagerly anticipated 2023 season with one of the most hilarious and beloved romantic comedies in theatrical history, Neil Simon's timeless Barefoot in the Park enjoys a February 10 through 19 run at Moline's Playcrafters Barn Theatre, this Tony-winning stage sensation – and inspiration for the Robert Redford/Jane Fonda movie – lauded by Life magazine as nothing less than “one of the funniest comedies ever.”

As Barefoot in the Park opens, newlyweds Paul and Corie Bratter are over the moon to begin their life together in their new apartment in Manhattan. It may be small and a six-flight climb, the heating may be busted and snow may be falling through the skylight, but nothing can quash their newlywed bliss. Paul is a straight-laced lawyer and Corie a romantic free-spirit; nevertheless, opposites attract and the two are wild about each other. However, after Corie decides to set her conservative, widowed mother up with the Bratters' eccentric, bohemian neighbor Victor Velasco, a wild night ensues -- one that highlights just how different Corie and Paul are. The young couple must consequently learn how to accept and embrace their differences as they learn that marriage is no easy walk in the park, their journey resulting in a Neil Simon classic that was nominated for four Tony Awards and won for its direction by Broadway's then-newcomer Mike Nichols.

Making his Playcrafters directorial debut with Barefoot in the Park is Adam Michael Lewis, a theatre instructor at Western Illinois University, longtime ComedySportz performer, and area stage actor in productions including the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre's Outside Mullingar, the Prenzie Players' The Comedy of Errors, and Playcrafters' The Mousetrap. Paul and Corie are respectively portrayed, in their Playcrafters debuts, by Augustana students Will Crouch and Sarah Walton, who were recent romantic-comedy partners in the college's The 39 Steps; Crouch has also appeared in Augustana's Tartuffe and The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-time, and Walton in Island Song and She Kills Monsters.

With Jake Ladd also making his Playcrafters debut in the role of Victor Velasco, Lewis' ensemble is completed by three venue veterans: Alexa Florence as Corie's mother, Jim Strauss as the delivery man, and Thayne Lamb as the telephone repair man. And with Yvonne Siddique serving as the show's producer, additional members of the Barefoot in the Park creative team include stage manager Jacqueline Cohoon, set builder Craig Cohoon, sound designer Laulak Siddique, props designer Marcia Templeman, and poster designer Katie Newport.

Barefoot in the Park runs at Moline's Barn Theatre from February 10 through 19, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Admission is $13-15, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)762-0330 and visiting Playcrafters.com.