There are stage veterans who scoff at Neil Simon, but I'm not among them. It'd be easier to dismiss his career if 21st century theaters boasted a humorist with even half the quality of his résumé. That said, Simon was always more gifted at writing jokes (a talent honed in 1950s TV) than crafting genuine pathos. His first major attempt at autobiography, Chapter Two, falls flat at each attempt at marital conflict. Brighton Beach Memoirs, penned six years later, is more ambitious than Chapter Two, but whiffs at as many pitches as it hits. What was probably his most heartfelt material seems, more often than not, manufactured instead of observed.

So there's that. But as I watched Capital Playhouse's production of Brighton, its first attempt at a straight (non-musical) play, I was struck by the number of balls Simon keeps in the air. Each character, including all four kids, has depth and purpose. We find ourselves rooting for Eugene's overstressed family to tough it out, and by the end of a long play, 2011 starts to look like an easy year indeed.

To read Christian Carvajal's full review, click here.

[Capital Playhouse, Brighton Beach Memoirs, through Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m. Thurs-Sat, 2 p.m. Sun, $30-$39, 612 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.943.2744]