Chances are

you are familiar with Tom Griffin's play "The Boys Next Door."

Perhaps you saw the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie with Nathan Lane or you

saw McIntosh High School's drama department perform it in 2001. There

is even a chance that you saw Southside Theatre Guild's production over

five years ago. "The Boys Next Door" returns to the southside

this week with Fayette Players and Community Theatre Inc.'s production

at McIntosh High School's Black Box Theatre.

The show is

directed by Michael McClendon, who directed it once before at Southside

Theatre Guild. "The Boys Next Door" focuses on the lives of

four emotionally and mentally challenged men who live in a communal residence

under the watchful eye of a sincere, but increasingly despairing, social

worker.

"I usually

don't direct the same show twice," said McClendon. "However,

this play has such an impact on audiences that I knew it was special and

jumped at the chance to do it again."

The audience

is witness to scenes from the daily lives of these four men, where "little

things" sometimes become momentous. They are often very funny, yet

they also have great poignancy.

"I would

see people come back night after night to watch this show," McClendon

stated about his first experience with the play. "It gave them everything

they wanted. It made them laugh, it made them think and it left them feeling

hopeful. The audience experiences everything. It is a lifetime in two

hours."

McClendon credits

Griffin's script as one of the key ingredients to the show's popularity.

"He brings the audience to the edge and back continually. It is built

into the play and is very special."

Though McClendon

has his past experience with the show to fall back on, he has an entirely

new cast. Though many of the actors have worked with McClendon before,

there are several newcomers. The show is challenging for even the most

talented actors but McClendon feels his cast has risen to the challenge.

"My advice

to the actors was to be specific," said McClendon. "The characters

are all very different. Two of the characters are mentally retarded, one

is schizophrenic and the other has a grab bag of problems. The cast did

their research and made their characters their own. They watched documentaries

on their subjects and not other actor's interpretations. It has been wonderful

to watch their strides and to see to cast move ahead of the director."

There are some

interesting connections for the cast to the show. One cast member has

a child with autism and works with several organizations that deal with

developmental challenges. Members of these organizations will be coming

to the show.

Another connection

is Stephen Buckner's performance as Jack, which he has said is his dream

role. Buckner directed the show for McIntosh High School in the fall and

often feels the same struggles as Jack as he deals with his students,

his family and his soccer team and is often being pulled in many directions

at once.

"He really

grounds the show," said McClendon. "He is the center of the

production."

Of course,

while the actors are dealing with the challenges of portraying challenged

individuals, the director must deal with each actor differently. Another

element to contend with is the way that normal theater conventions are

broken in the show. There are times when the actors will speak directly

to the audience, there are fantasy sequences and the play takes place

at dozens of locations.

"The main

setting for the play is their apartment," McClendon said. "However,

the rest of the action takes place in the space between the seats and

the audience. That's why I think this is such a great space for this play.

The audience is very close to the action and they get involved in the

story and the characters."

McClendon feels

that this is an entirely different show from the one he directed five

years ago. "It's turned up a bit more and really vivid," McClendon

said. "I feel like we have everything in this show but an elephant

and a nude scene and who knows what will be in there by opening night."

"The Boys

Next Door" will be presented in the Black Box Theater at McIntosh

High School in Peachtree City, Thursdays-Saturdays, March 28- 30, April

4-6 and April 19 and 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for

children and students. There will be ticket specials the first weekend.

Audience members get a 50% discount off one ticket when they purchase

two or more tickets and students who present ID will get tickets for $5.

For more information

on the show or to reserve tickets, call 770-631-8568.

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