Say the name Boca to young people and they probably won’t know what you’re talking about. However, most seniors recognize it as the shortened version of Boca Raton, a city in South Florida where many go, first for a winter getaway, and later, to retire in active adult communities. The play, “Boca,” by Jessica Provenz, provides us with a glimpse of what life is like for such a group behind the gates of the “idyllic” Boca Oasis Retirement Community.
Five actors portray the 11 characters in a series of 12 quick-paced vignettes. The weather is always a perfect 75 degrees. They are safe within the gates of the community, where they have many friends though the men do gripe about the missing packets of Stevia and about a valet who takes too long to deliver the cars. And while they are kept busy with Zoom meetings, pickle ball, and dating, they also grapple with hardships- loss of friends and partners, failed marriage, poor health, erectile dysfunction, missed opportunities, and impending death.
They have gone through the challenges of life. They’ve taken jobs they didn’t like. They’ve married spouses they also didn’t like. One was left by her husband for a woman who worked at Cheesecake Factory. But in spite of what can sound like a depressing play, it is not. They talk about the 45-year itch. They dismiss the medical advice of one of them because they say he is not a doctor- he is a podiatrist. It is smart play, and it is funny- very funny.
Most of the discussions are between the women about the men. Can they drive at night? Do they wipe the toilet seat? But they are also dealing with the fact that the women outnumber men by 3 to 1and that they must keep an eye out for any woman who is dying so they can grab the man, as soon as he becomes available. At one point, there is a daring attempt to escape the monotony of their lives with a “Thelma and Louise”- like car ride.
I can go on and on with the dozens of little stories that kept me laughing all through the 80-minute piece presented expertly by director Tony Braithewaite with five talented veteran Philadelphia actors. There is one reflective monologue by one of the men that lacked the humor and the texture of the rest of the show, but it was only a few minutes long. With all the very serious theater around today, it was a pleasure to watch such a joyous play. I don’t know if young people will enjoy it as much as I did, but I am telling all my friends about it. It’s a must-see piece for everyone over 65!
“Boca” by Jessica Provenz at Act II Playhouse, 56 E. Butler Avenue., Ambler, PA 19002, 215-654-0200, act2.org Extended thru September 3, 2023
Philadelphia Theater Reviews by Frank Burd 