This weekend, the Pelham Memorial High School performed a production of ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’, a show that warms the heart with love, family, and a touch of nostalgia. The show centers around the Jerome-Morton family, a Jewish American family in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York. The small but able cast performed with comedic timing and flair, while keeping the family dynamic strong.

Standouts included Athena Woodfin, whose performance as Kate Jerome touched the hearts of many, yet kept the audience in stitches with her boisterous and strong-headed interpretation of the housewife. Her husband, Jack Jerome, was played by Jack Hopkins, who managed the tired yet caring father character with loving interest.  Jack Finnegan managed to capture the essence of a young 15 year old, curious about the inner workings of the world, and dependent on his big brother Stanley, here played by Sam Rodd, another wonderful actor, to learn. Caitlin Winston played Laurie Morton with all of the spunk and enthusiasm expected, and Meredith Heller was Nora Morton with a perfect mix of angst and flightiness, with natural feeling.

Brighton Beach Memoirs possessed incredible talent, not only on stage, but also in the sets. The enormous makeshift Jerome-Morton house was impeccable,  with every detail carefully planned. Credits to this go to stage manager Dale Martin, making sure that every prop and set piece was in place, and so meticulously planned that the audience was transported into 1930’s Brooklyn, if only for a few hours.

The entirety of this show was sleek and well-done, while still maintaining the familial quality that has kept Brighton Beach Memoirs relevant and enjoyable after all this time.