An Unlikely Pair Opposites Attract In Interplayers’ ‘Park Your Car In Harvard Yard’

He’s a crotchety old high school teacher who needs a housekeeper.

She’s a warmhearted young widow who needs a job.

And thus begins the story of “Park Your Car in Harvard Yard” by Israel Horovitz, which opens at the Interplayers Ensemble on Friday.

The story, as you might guess, turns out to be a clash of opposites, in classic two-character comedy style. He’s Jewish, she’s Catholic. He loves his classical music. She likes Top 40.

Yet as the play progresses it turns out that these two Gloucester, Mass., natives have far more in common than they realize. By the end audiences will understand how their lives have intertwined over the years.

This play had its world premiere in 1982 at the Gloucester Stage Company, which Horovitz, one of America’s most respected playwrights,

founded in 1980. “Park Your Car in Harvard Yard” was one of several plays that came to be known as his “Gloucester cycle.” They were all successful, but “Park Your Car” became the best known of the bunch.

It went on to have a Manhattan Theater Club workshop with Ellen Burstyn and Burgess Meredith, and then, in 1991, premiered on Broadway with Jason Robards and Judith Ivey.

New York Times theater critic Frank Rich savaged it, calling it “brazenly padded,” “jerry-built” and other things even worse.

But it overcame that to earn an audience, not to mention a Tony nomination for Ivey. It also went on to be a smash in Paris.

The Interplayers production features co-founder Robert Welch as Jacob Brackish, the “meanest teacher ever to set foot in Gloucester High.” Eileen Lawson plays Kathleen Hogan, the woman who enters his life.

Interplayers co-founder Joan Welch directs.

Israel Horovitz, 60, has not been produced often in Spokane, but he has been a one-man theater force nationwide for more than 30 years. Horovitz has written 50 plays, many of which have been critical hits, including “The Indian Wants the Bronx,” “The Primary English Class” and “North Shore Fish.” His one-act play “Line” introduced Richard Dreyfuss to the stage, and a revival is now in its 23rd year off-Broadway. (Yes, that’s right, its 23rd year).

And now, he’s famous for one of his other creations: He’s the father of Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys.

“Park Your Car in Harvard Yard” opens Friday and continues through Feb. 20. Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday shows at 7:30 p.m. Matinees will be at 2 p.m. on Jan. 30, Feb. 3 and Feb. 6.

Evening tickets are $17.10 and $14.80. Opening night discount price and matinees are $13.65. Patrons under 25 can attend any performance for $10. “Lunch Hour Hot Tix” are offered for $10 between noon and 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Interplayers box office for that evening’s shows. Limit of two. Call 455-PLAY for tickets. Interplayers is located at 174 S. Howard.

`Late Nite Catechism’

Have you been memorizing your saints’ names?

You’d better be, because Sister is coming back to Spokane for another “class” on Wednesday, at 7:30 p.m. at The Met.

This is the Seattle production of this interactive theater hit, once again brought to Spokane as a fund-raiser for Catholic Charities. Aubrey Manning will play the very strict, but very knowledgable sister. The audience will play the catechism class.

Tickets are nearly sold out, due no doubt to the tremendous word of mouth from the first show. Catholic Charities does have a handful left, for $50 and $30, available by calling 358-4257.