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Review: Comedic family drama warms hearts Sunday Oct 16, 2016 at 12:01 AM Angela Decker for the Mail Tribune For a long time, starting in the 1960s, Broadway was rich with big-hit Neil Simon plays such as “The Odd Couple” and the “Brighton Beach trilogy.” Although his 1979 play “I Ought To Be In Pictures” isn’t as well as known as other works, it still has a classic Neil Simon vibe, with believable characters and dry, warm-hearted humor. Directed by Brianna Gowland, Camelot Theatre’s production is a human drama with a comedic edge. The script isn’t Simon’s best, but Camelot’s three strong actors do a good job with the somewhat lackluster material. Floundering Hollywood scriptwriter Herb Tucker (Roy Von Rains Jr.) and his on-again-off-again girlfriend Steffy (Debbie Downward) get a surprise visit from his plucky teenage daughter Libby (Sophie Marilla Stricker), whom he abandoned 16 years ago. Libby, who has hitchhiked from her home in New York, announces that she wants to be a movie star and she wants her father, who has been absent through most of her life, to help her accomplish that. Of course, there’s more to Libby’s visit than a quest for stardom, and the play explores the pair’s relationship as they try to connect as father and daughter. Von Rains' Herb is just likeable enough that viewers can almost understand why his level-headed girlfriend Steffy stays with him, buying his groceries and offering sage advice. He grows reluctantly and awkwardly from a wise-cracking, self-centered man-child into a caring parent. Debbie Downward has great chemistry with both of her co-stars. Her Steffy takes a back seat to Herb, and doesn’t grow much as a result, but she’s a very human character and a key support for the other two, stepping in with a hug or a kick in the pants when called for. Sophie Marilla Stricker holds her own with the two veteran actors and is an adorable Libby. The entire play is set in Herb’s '70s-era Los Angeles bungalow. Set designer Don Zastoupil and prop master Olivia Harrison do a great job evoking the time period without going over the top. Evan Carbone’s lighting, with purply orange California sunrises and convincing car headlights, is a nice addition, as well. While the first act starts off a little slow, it warms up quickly when father and daughter start to really engage with one another. It is fun listening to the two New York transplants mock and marvel at the Southern California weather, water and people. This is not an action-packed play with huge surprises, and the one-liners that make Neil Simon plays such fun are not as zippy here as in his other works, but it is a well-written, thoughtful story played out by talented performers who remind viewers that if there is enough love, it is never too late to heal wounded hearts. The show continues through Nov. 6. For more information, visit www.camelottheatre.org. — Angela Decker is a freelance writer in Ashland and can be reached at [email protected].