The Boys Next Door Essay

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The Boys Next Door by Tom Griffin is an excellent interpretation of how the mentally ill travel through life by presenting the lives of four men who must discover which reality is true. They learn what it means to make mistakes and that life isn't always fair. Furthermore, the performance was presented at the Manatee Performing Arts Center on September seventeenth and the curtain time was at seven-thirty in the evening. The ticket was purchased at thirteen dollars instead of the regular ticket price of twenty-six dollars. The play revolved around four men who are mentally ill. Their portrayal was underlined by the goal of the play, which was that the true reality would be accepted by the characters. These four men would additionally learn…show more content…
In order to exhibit these illnesses, certain personas were captured by these actors. The first man was Arnold Wiggins, who had an obsessive compulsive disorder. Therefore, the actor adopted several ticks, such as constantly counting his fingers and twisting his neck. He also had a hunchback and stood leaning over sideways. Another man was Lucien P. Smith, whose ability to communicate and understand was at a lower level than average. The actor was able to make himself look small, though he was a big man. He additionally spoke in a high pitched voice and was constantly fidgeting with his fingers. The reason this persona was surprising was because of a monologue where Lucien faces the audience and speaks with conviction to the audience about men with mental illnesses. The next character is Norman Bulansky, played by an actor who adds on to his illness by fidgeting with his hands and always shifting his gaze. This shift helps the audience connect with his words as he attempts to communicate with his fellow roommates. The final man is the most complex character out of the four, and this is Barry Klemper. He is disconnected from reality, and the audience learns that his illness may not have been present at birth. Throughout the play, he associates himself with golf and has made himself believe that he is a Golf Pro. The actor portrays this character by acting normal, and the audience is able to glimpse his mental illness only through the script. These four men are depicted spectacularly through their
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