After nearly 40 years, Lee Finocchio (L) and Charles Bohanan (R) return to the stage together in Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys.
Veteran Actors to Bring 'Sunshine' to Tucker Stage
by Gary Goettling
As actors do, Charles Bohanan and Lee Finocchio are drawing inspiration for their upcoming theatrical roles from the personalities of people they've known. The two veteran community theater actors play Willie Clark and Al Lewis, respectively, in Main Street Theatre's production of The Sunshine Boys, set for Oct. 6-15.
"I had an uncle who had the same kind of attitude Willie has," says Charles, a native of Covington who resides in Decatur. "He was sarcastic and funny, but at the same time sorta frustrated with life.
"I'd get a call from him — this was sometime in the '70s — and he'd say, 'I don't understand the VCR!' so I'd go over and get it working for him. Two days later, he'd call again: 'It's still not working! I don't know what's going on!'"
Al is a more laid-back, thoughtful character, according to Lee, who was raised in the Bronx.
"I grew up with people like Al and Willie — their expressions, the way they carry themselves," says the Norcross resident. "I know these people!"
Lee weighs in with an uncle story of his own.
"He was 85, and I had to go up to his place all the time because he couldn't do this and he couldn't do that," Lee laughs. "Once, he tried to make wine in his bathtub. I walked in there and there were millions of fruit flies in the bathtub. I said, 'What are you doing?' and he said, 'I'm making wine.'
"'You're making wine that's gonna kill us with all these bugs!'"
Neil Simon's play The Sunshine Boys introduces Lewis and Clark, a famous Vaudeville comedy act for more than 40 years. Eleven years after breaking up, they agreed — reluctantly — to get back together for a television special. Despite their long working relationship, off-stage Lewis and Clark couldn't stand each other. Their animus is on full comedic display when the elderly troupers rehearse their old routines in this fall Main Street Theatre production.
"Comedy is my favorite thing to do, and this is definitely a funny show," says Charles, whose involvement with community theater goes back about 40 years. "A lot of people ask why I go through all the work of learning lines and doing rehearsals and everything else associated with acting in local theater, and I tell them it's because I love it. It's not work to me, it's fun."
Lee agrees, adding, "My father worked for Capezio, which makes theatrical and dance footwear for all the Broadway shows and Las Vegas shows. An uncle was a photographer for Richard Avedon and ended up becoming property master for "Law & Order. So I've been around the performing arts all my life."
Charles and Lee first met four decades ago in a production of The Mousetrap by the Dunwoody Stage Door Players. Except for a stint in the mid-'80s when they had non-singing roles in an Atlanta Repertory Opera performance, the two have not worked together since. Sunshine marks the Main Street Theatre debut for both.
"I'm really liking the fact that the two of us are working together again," Charles says, "because I think we can come up with the same kind of chemistry that Willie and Al had in their heyday."
"I had an uncle who had the same kind of attitude Willie has," says Charles, a native of Covington who resides in Decatur. "He was sarcastic and funny, but at the same time sorta frustrated with life.
"I'd get a call from him — this was sometime in the '70s — and he'd say, 'I don't understand the VCR!' so I'd go over and get it working for him. Two days later, he'd call again: 'It's still not working! I don't know what's going on!'"
Al is a more laid-back, thoughtful character, according to Lee, who was raised in the Bronx.
"I grew up with people like Al and Willie — their expressions, the way they carry themselves," says the Norcross resident. "I know these people!"
Lee weighs in with an uncle story of his own.
"He was 85, and I had to go up to his place all the time because he couldn't do this and he couldn't do that," Lee laughs. "Once, he tried to make wine in his bathtub. I walked in there and there were millions of fruit flies in the bathtub. I said, 'What are you doing?' and he said, 'I'm making wine.'
"'You're making wine that's gonna kill us with all these bugs!'"
Neil Simon's play The Sunshine Boys introduces Lewis and Clark, a famous Vaudeville comedy act for more than 40 years. Eleven years after breaking up, they agreed — reluctantly — to get back together for a television special. Despite their long working relationship, off-stage Lewis and Clark couldn't stand each other. Their animus is on full comedic display when the elderly troupers rehearse their old routines in this fall Main Street Theatre production.
"Comedy is my favorite thing to do, and this is definitely a funny show," says Charles, whose involvement with community theater goes back about 40 years. "A lot of people ask why I go through all the work of learning lines and doing rehearsals and everything else associated with acting in local theater, and I tell them it's because I love it. It's not work to me, it's fun."
Lee agrees, adding, "My father worked for Capezio, which makes theatrical and dance footwear for all the Broadway shows and Las Vegas shows. An uncle was a photographer for Richard Avedon and ended up becoming property master for "Law & Order. So I've been around the performing arts all my life."
Charles and Lee first met four decades ago in a production of The Mousetrap by the Dunwoody Stage Door Players. Except for a stint in the mid-'80s when they had non-singing roles in an Atlanta Repertory Opera performance, the two have not worked together since. Sunshine marks the Main Street Theatre debut for both.
"I'm really liking the fact that the two of us are working together again," Charles says, "because I think we can come up with the same kind of chemistry that Willie and Al had in their heyday."