Proposals

The indefatigable Neil Simon is not at his best (Broadway Bound) in his play about a 1950s family coming to terms with the mortality of its patriarch. But he’s not at his worst (Jake’s Women), either. Though Simon’s themes (divorce, parent-child relationships) and comedic rhythms are all too familiar, his instincts for character, timing, and structure are plenty sharp enough to tickle audiences’ funny bones and occasionally jab them in the gut. In Proposals, Simon is well served by an ace cast (especially Dick Latessa as the father, L. Scott Caldwell as the long-suffering maid/narrator, and Peter Rini as a mafioso type) and Joe Mantello’s smooth direction. B+