Maui OnStage presents “The Boys Next Door”, April 26 to May 12

Maui OnStage presents “The Boys Next Door” by Tom Griffin and directed by Ricky Jones, happening April 26 through May 12 at the Historic ʻĪao Theater.

About The Boys Next Door: In a communal residence; four mentally handicapped men live under the supervision of an earnest Jack (Shane Borge), a “burned out” young social worker. Norman (John Galvan), works in a doughnut shop and is unable to resist the lure of the sweet pastries; Lucien P. Smith (Rueben Carrion) has the mind of a five-year-old but imagines that he can read and comprehend the weighty books he lugs around; Arnold (Francis Taua), is a hyper, compulsive chatterer, who suffers from deep-seated insecurities and a persecution complex; Barry, a brilliant schizophrenic, fantasizes that he is a golf pro.

The Boys Next Door. Photo courtesy: Maui On Stage

In scenes from the daily lives of these four, where “little things” sometimes become momentous, and often very funny, are moments of great poignancy with touching effectiveness. “The Boys Next Door” reminds us that the handicapped, like everyone, want only to love and laugh and find some meaning and purpose in the brief time that they are allotted on this earth.

“The Boys Next Door” is sponsored by The Bocha Company, a behavioral health organization on Maui that provides support services to individuals with special needs.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, April 26 through May 12, 2019. Tickets are $20 to $40. To purchase tickets for any ʻĪao Theater event call (808) 242-6969 or order online.