Geoffrey Naufft’s play “Next Fall” has everything that life has–laughter, tears, drama, and a group of friends, who have become family, that resemble those same people that are in your life. Gwen Ricks-Spencer assembled an expert cast, whose virtuosity played our heart strings like violins and gave us all a great deal to consider, during intermission and after the entire story resolved. The saddest part is that there was such a limited run, culminating on March 15.
This is a story about Adam and Luke, rather than Adam and Steve. Adam (Ted Cancila) is an “older” man, who meets Luke (Nick Wolf) at a party. Luke is an aspiring actor, who’s a waiter at a party that Adam’s boss and bestie Holly (Vanessa Robinson) is throwing. Adam has aspirations of his own–he’s a writer, sorta, and he’s currently working in Holly’s candle shop. They meet and it’s clearly lust at first sight, with a bit of something more–a deeper spark that has them both throwing caution to the wind and the first thing you know, it’s five years later. Five years of Luke hiding his true love and true self from his devout, and divorced, parents. In fact our story begins in medias res in the waiting room of a Manhattan hospital, where Luke has been taken after a tragic accident that brings every part of his life crashing together. But Luke is in a coma and what does Adam say to Butch (Victor Gallo) and Arlene (Lynn Langone), who have no idea what Adam and Luke mean to one another. Luke’s bestie Brandon (Alan VanAntwerp) is perfect as the guy who just doesn’t gel with Adam, but somehow they manage to bury the hatchet to determine what’s best for the man they both love, albeit in different ways.
The entire cast seamlessly weaves the story of lives and times as they all intertwine to make the warp and weft of a chosen family. While not everyone gets along, isn’t that the way of all families? There’s unbidden laughter, sudden tears and the ring of truth in the entire experience.
Don’t let a short run cheat you of the experience of a 4th Wall Theatre production! Get your tickets now for their final production of the season, “Hands on a Hard Body” a surprising musical. The show runs from June 5 to 14, so order tickets now at www.4thwalltheatre.org today!