Family Laughs Serious Themes Develop Beneath The Crazy Hilarity In Interplayers’ ‘Over The River’

“Over the River and Through the Woods” Friday, Sept. 15, Interplayers Ensemble

The Interplayers Ensemble couldn’t have picked a funnier, brighter, more satisfying play to kick off its 20th-anniversary season.

In the first act of Joe DiPietro’s “Over the River and Through the Woods,” I was dabbing away tears of laughter. In the second act, I was dabbing away just plain tears.

This is the best kind of family comedy - one that deals with deeper themes of loss and obligation while still regaling us with the utter insanity of family life.

DiPietro has been called the “Italian-American Neil Simon,” and the comparison is somewhat apt. The first act, especially, is loaded with gags and one-liners that could have come right out of “The Sunshine Boys.”

When Nick, the 29-year-old grandson, admits that he has been seeing a psychiatrist, his grandfather says, “A foot doctor?”

When Nick admits that he had Chinese food before coming over, one Italian grandfather says, “Chinese food? That’s like eating cancer.”

But it might be more apt to say that “Over the River and Through the Woods” is like an Italian-American “Seinfeld” episode, one in which Jerry has to spend a day with his wacky, comical, crazy, borderline-addled grandparents.

The concept is simple and somewhat sitcomlike (no, I don’t mean that as an insult). Nick has been going to Hoboken to see his two sets of grandparents every Sunday for years. This time, however, he has an announcement to make.

He is moving to Seattle to accept a big promotion as a marketing executive.

He expects his grandparents to be thrilled, which is ingenuous. They are shocked, hurt and appalled - and to keep him from moving they immediately concoct a crude plan involving a cute nurse who would be “perfect for him.”

The comedy that ensues is often hysterical, if somewhat predictable. Less predictable are the deeper themes that slowly emerge.

The grandparents are immigrants, wrenched away from their families not by choice. They can’t fathom why anyone would leave the loving cocoon of family if not absolutely forced.

Director Joan Welch plays the comedy and the drama deftly. Most of it rings hilariously, and painfully, true. One of the best things she did was cast Tim Kniffin as Nick.

Kniffin reminded me of John Cusack at his best (and that is a big compliment). His comic timing was exceptional, and so were his nonverbal reactions when faced with his grandparents’ outrageous antics. He spent a lot of time burying his face in his hands and generally showing that he was being put upon, embarrassed and humiliated by those he loves.

Both Welch and Kniffin understand that the biggest laughs come come not from nutty behavior but in watching a sane person react to nutty behavior.

The grandparents tend to be written slightly less realistically, and they are often shown as childish. But Ed Cornachio, especially, made his character come fully to life. He was strong, stubborn, funny and emotional.

The other cast members - Linda Montalvo, Jenny Ferris, John Oswald and Ann Russell - all contributed strongly and often brilliantly to this ensemble production.

This show deserves to be a big hit, and if the rapturous reception on opening night is any indication, it will be.

“Over the River and Through the Woods” continues through Oct. 7. Call 455-PLAY for tickets.