Coming and Going

Max Silverman, protagonist in Vintage Theatre’s production of The Goodbye People, knows he’s going to die. Soon. But before he does, he’s going to resurrect his Coney Island hot dog stand, closed for twenty years. At least that’s his plan. His daughter, Shirley, a fledging television-commercial actress with a new...

By Drew Bixby

March 4, 2010

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Max Silverman, protagonist in Vintage Theatre’s production of The Goodbye People, knows he’s going to die. Soon. But before he does, he’s going to resurrect his Coney Island hot dog stand, closed for twenty years. At least that’s his plan. His daughter, Shirley, a fledging television-commercial actress with a new nose who now goes by Nancy, will play a role (no pun intended). So will Arthur Korman, an employee of the Jingle Bell Display Company for eighteen years — the kind of guy who worries about gaps in conversation and carries a banjo even though he can’t play it.

“It’s a very strange piece,” says Roger Simon, who plays Max Silverman. “The title is very apropos. Each one of these characters is, in a way, kind of a loser or a goodbye person, in that they’re saying goodbye to something that was part of their life or goodbye to their life itself.” Interestingly enough, says Simon, “the set is maybe more important than the actors.” That’s because director Jesse Larner brought in installation artist Gillian Waggoner to re-create Coney Island on her terms, using only found objects and recycled materials. Not to mention nearly ten tons of sand.

The Goodbye People opens today at7:30 p.m. and plays weekends through April 3 at Vintage Theatre, 2119 East 17th Avenue. Tickets are $18 in advance, $23 at the door. Get more at 303-839-1361 or www.vintagetheatre.com.
Fridays, Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2:30 p.m. Starts: March 5. Continues through April 3, 2010

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