MISTAKES WERE MADE - Coulda-Woulda-Shouda by Carol Kaufman Segal

            

Mistakes Were Made is making its world premiere at The Santa Monica Playhouse.  Written by playwright Jerry Mayer, it is his 10^th play to premiere at the Playhouse, and like most, they come from personal happenings in his own life.

           

Dick Turner (Paul Linke), Jeff Cohen (Gregg Berger), and Mel Friedman (Kyle T. Heffner) were all comedy writers for a TV show in their younger days.  Time has passed, and when they get together at Canters Deli to reminisce over old times, they all realize that Mistakes Were Made by each of them, as well as others in their lives, that left problems with their friendships as the years passed by.

            

Fortunately, during all of those bygone years, their lives have changed and mistakes can be fixed as these men discover as they hark back to the old days.  They learn, by discussing all that has been gnawing at them over the years, they are able to realize that their friendships are what matters now.

            

The stories looking back are told with aside skits that will keep you laughing maybe even crying.  Human comedy can sometimes do that.  The skits include Matt Fowler (Charlie, Young Dick, Young Jeff, Young Mel, Dick Jr.), Rachel Galper  (Helen, Young Helen, Young Ruth, Gayle, Young Gayle), and Christine Joelle (The Apple Genius, Sally the Waitress, Charlene the Girlfriend, Susan Kramer the Producer, Ann Tyler the Actress, Esther Turner – Dick Jr’s wife).

           

Playwright Jerry Mayer’s writing career began over 40 years ago.  He first began writing jokes, then spec scripts until he began writing scripts for some of the most popular shows in the 70’s such as All In the Family, M*A*S*, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show as well as many other television shows.  He spent six years as a writer and Executive Producer of The Facts of Life.  He wrote his first play in the mid-80’s which had its World Premier at the Santa Monica Playhouse and that launched his success as a playwright. 

            

Santa Monica Playhouse has been home to Mayer’s premiers and all have been directed, as this one has, by renowned Director Chris DeCarlo.  What makes Mayer’s plays so popular is, to quote Chris DeCarlo, his “plays are a delight for a director, a cast, and of course, an audience.  He writes about issues people can identify with, laugh at, and care about.”   Mistakes Are Made is no exception.  With that, and an outstanding cast, this is a play you can’t help but enjoy.

           

Mistakes Were Made, plays Saturdays at 7:30 PM, and Sundays at 3:30 PM through June 30^th at the Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 4^th St., Santa Monica.  For tickets, or for further information, call the Santa Monica Playhouse Box Office at (310) 394-9779, ext. 1, or you may purchase tickets online at SantaMonicaPlayhouse.com/mistakes.html.

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