The Prisoner of Second Avenue
Next up at Treasure Coast Theatre – the only community theatre in Port St Lucie – is the classic Neil Simon dark comedy, “The Prisoner of Second Avenue.” The play was critically praised and was nominated for a Tony Award in 1972. “The Prisoner of Second Avenue” opens on Friday, June 3rd.
The Prisoner of Second Avenue
The story revolves around the escalating problems of a middle-aged couple living on Second Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City in the early 1970s. Mel Edison has just lost his job after 22 years faithful service and now has to cope with being unemployed at middle age during an economic recession. His wife Edna takes a job to tide them over, and then she too is sacked. Compounded by the air-pollution killing his plants, and with the walls of the apartment being paper-thin, allowing him a constant earful of his neighbors private lives, things can’t seem to get any worse…Then he’s robbed, and his psychiatrist dies with $23,000 of his money. Mel does the only thing left for him to do-he has a nervous breakdown and it’s the best thing that ever happened to him…
The Prisoner of Second Avenue
Critics stated that Neil Simon took a grave subject and, without losing sight of its basic seriousness, treated it with hearty but sympathetic humor. The play is full of humor and intelligence.
The play is directed by Angela Anderson Knittel in her directorial debut. Angela previously served as assistant director for Treasure Coast Theatre’s productions of “The Humans”, “Doubt: A Parable”, “ Love, Loss and What I Wore”, and “The Glass Menagerie.” She has also appeared on the Treasure Coast Theatre stage in seven productions. Her assistant director is Sarah Klein, who is proud alumna of American Theatre Wing’s SpringboardNYC and has also appeared in countless productions.
The play stars six actors, most of whom are familiar to audiences on the Treasure Coast. Paul Berman and Wendy Cozine are Mel and Edna, while Ellen Gillette, Kristin Healey, Carey Anne Elmquist and Gary York round out the cast as Paul’s siblings.
“The Prisoner of Second Avenue” opens on Friday, June 3rd at 8pm and runs for three weekends to Sunday, June 19th. Performances are held at 8pm on Friday and Saturday and 2pm on Sunday. Tickets are $25. Please contact the box office at (772) 418-2439 for season tickets, group sales and student pricing.
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Treasure Coast Theatre is a new theatre, opened in 2019 and located at 10175 South Federal Highway, Port St. Lucie, FL in the Town Centre Shopping Plaza. The theatre can accommodate 54 theatregoers, including up to 4 wheelchairs.
