Brighton up your weekend

Get ready to laugh and cry when Riverbend Players present Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” at Nehalem’s North County Recreation District Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 18, through Sunday, April 2.

Set in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, New York, in 1937 during the Great Depression, this coming-of-age comedy focuses on Eugene Morris Jerome, a Jewish, Polish-American teenager. Eugene experiences puberty, sexual awakening and a search for identity as he tries to deal with his family, including his older brother Stanley, his parents Kate and Jack, Kate’s sister Blanche and her daughters, Nora and Laurie, who move in after their father’s death.

The new living arrangement is taking a toll on Jack’s health, as he has to work two stressful jobs to support the extended family.

Meanwhile, Aunt Blanche is interested in dating their neighbor, who has a drinking problem, despite Kate’s objections. Stanley faces problems with his own job when he stands up to his somewhat tyrannical boss, and later resorts to some shady means to support the family’s struggle. Cousin Nora, whom Eugene has a crush on, is eager to be a paid dancer in a Broadway musical, even though the family’s circumstances might not allow it. And cousin Laurie, who has heart problems and requires frequent doctor visits, is a source of annoyance for Eugene.

All the while the family are worried about their relatives in Poland, which is under invasion, and how they’ll be able to put them up if they escape and come to Brooklyn.

Directed by Vicki Haker, the cast includes Leo McDonald-Goldstein, Penny Cole, Christine Calkins, Brian McMahon, Emilee Andrade, Juli Stratton and Jay Johansen.

Showtimes are 7 pm Fridays and Saturdays and 2 pm on Sundays. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $25 for reserved seats. The NCRD Performing Arts Center is located at 36155 9th Street in Nehalem. For more information, go to riverbendplayers.org.