The Boys Next Door

by Tom Griffin

The place is a communal residence in a New England city, where four mentally handicapped men live under the supervision of an earnest, but increasingly "burned out" young social worker named Jack. Norman, who works in a doughnut shop and is unable to resist the lure of the sweet pastries, takes great pride in the huge bundle of keys that dangles from his waist; Lucien P. Smith has the mind of a five-year-old but imagines that he is able to read and comprehend the weighty books he lugs about; Arnold, the ringleader of the group, is a hyperactive, compulsive chatterer, who suffers from deep-seated insecurities and a persecution complex; while Barry, a brilliant schizophrenic who is devastated by the unfeeling rejection of his brutal father, fantasizes that he is a golf pro. Mingled with scenes from the daily lives of these four, where "little things" sometimes become momentous (and often very funny), are moments of great poignancy when, with touching effectiveness, we are reminded that the handicapped, like the rest of us, want only to love and laugh and find some meaning and purpose in the brief time that they, like their more fortunate brothers, are allotted on this earth.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama, School, Fiction

72 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1988

Reviews

[The Shayne-Train · Rating 4 out of 5]

UPDATE 3: Jeez, I left everyone hanging. I won dat thing. Like two years ago. But i'm still insanely proud and happy. I think this show is the best work I've ever done.

UPDATE 2: What in the WORLD? I got nominated for a Broadway World award for this performance, and didn't even know about it until a castmate posted it on Facebook. Kinda want to cry a little, I won't lie. (11/07/17)

UPDATE 1: OMGGGGG WE OPEN TONIGHT WOO! (8/25/17)

Oh snap. Another script read because I'm actually performing in the show!

This is a great tragi-comedy about 4 men with varying levels of mental problems, and the long-suffering group-home manager that has to put up with their hijinx.

Barry thinks he's a golf pro. Norman's addicted to eating donuts. Arnold's about to burn all his bridges and move to Russia. And Lucien has a Spider-Man tie and means business!

I get to play Arnold in our theatre company's production, and I'm both excited and HORRIFIED. This is a much bigger part than any I've played before. So here's hoping I don't wreck the whole thing.

Did I mention I'm a nervous person? Well, frankly, I am.

[Gedalia Penner Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As beautiful as watching it in action.

[Maddie Bartlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am currently preforming in this play. I don’t love it & don’t quite understand the praise it gets. The story is heartwarming and heartbreaking, but it reads terribly. It feels as though Tom Griffin forgot to proof read it or he just never read it or loud - only in his head.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An AMAZING play... wish it had more parts for women!! Love it!!

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved reading this play in class!

[Alex Curry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This play might very well be what started my path towards a life of theatre. One if my favorites. Powerful. I hold this work in very high regard.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This play was required reading for my high school theatre class. I have to say that I didn’t really like many of the characters, except Norman. But I love little stories about people’s lives, so it was interesting.

[Alexander Alfonso · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not sure why I read this or even where I found it, but it was terribly disappointing play. Aged terribly. Reads false. I’m sure some people act like this, but I’ve worked with autistic adults for 8 years and I found their portrayals here pretty insulting, honestly.

[Kelsey Burnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful characters. Funny and touching. Lots of thought-provoking moments. Especially love Lucien’s monologue when he is addressing congress.

[Travis Nacke · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a great play. Funny, sad, & intense! I preformed this play back in the late 1990s and now I'm practicing to preform it again in March.

[Lo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honesty, heart, and humor glow through the pages. This play has a variety of characters written, each with their own types and levels of challenges. I think it would be great for a community theater.

[sasha bruce]

for dramatic writing

[Naomi Senkbeil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worked on this play in college, and it was a joy to do. Characters are endearing. Simple scenery and a look into the lives of people usually overlooked.

[Kasey Mazak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This play is a gem.
It is funny. It is sad. It is touching.
The plot revolves around characters with intellectual disabilities, and Tom Griffin let me see the world through their eyes.

[Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I feel about it, to be quite honest. At first I hated it, but as I read it I started to be moved by it. It's an interesting look into the lives of people with disabilities. And it was sort of painful to see the difficulties. I think it would be good for people to see and maybe it would bring some empathy to the audience.

However, I read this as part of a play reading committee for a local community theatre. My main concern for this specific theatre is the sets. They aren't elaborate, but they fade between different scenes on different parts of the stage and seeing how this theatre has a thrust stage, I think it would be difficult to pull off. The props don't seem too difficult, though you need a lot of donuts. It's mostly men's roles which could present difficulties as well. I'm sort of undecided about it all around.

[William Visher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have read the play and seen the Hallmark production. Enjoyed both in their own right. Looking forward to fleshing out on the stage. Seeing the characters in the play come to life was a joy and I found new pleasure in it each time.

[Dylan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this primarily because I'm working on set design for it this spring. Nothing profound and wasn't my favorite, but it had good parts. Griffin does a good job portraying five mentally handicapped characters without being offensive; rather sweet.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweetly moving play about four mentally-handicapped men and their case-worker. I love it's modestly an unassuming gentleness, all while being very funny.