Those familiar with Neil Simon's plays know how well he instills a tragic situation with humor. Hillel Theatre Group's production of one the famed playwright's best works, The Gingerbread Lady, was fittingly well-received this weekend at the Shapiro Theater. Despite some stumbling in the first act, the play quickly developed into a triumphant achievement.Joanie Axelbaum '07 played Evy Meara, a rehabilitated drunk, who returns to her insecure, superficial relationships with struggling gay actor Jimmy Perry (Alain Ackerman '08) and her narcissistic best friend Toby Landau (Rebecca Kotlicky '06), who hides behind layers of make-up. As Evy tries to find her worth in an alcohol-free world through the "help" of her unstable friends, she fails to recognize the sanity and reason offered by her daughter Polly, played by Julia Tejblum '08.

At times, the first act's demanding dialogue seemed too strenuous for HTG. That wasn't the only problem, either: Jimmy's image of a struggling, gay 40-year-old actor was slightly marred by gratuitous flamboyance and hand-gesturing, qualities which only distracted the audience from important dialogue in later acts.

Fortunately, such problematic instances were balanced by the delivery boy Manuel (Esteban Morales '07). Although Manuel's role in the action (helping to reveal Evy's sex addiction) was minor, he helped to keep the audience alive through the longest act of the play.

Things picked up, however, by Act II, which brought with it more humor and much more convincing dialogue. As Evy's desperate need to belong drive her to break her vows and drink again, her friends fail to provide the much-needed emotional support. Here, Axelbaum's acting became more convincing with every drink, until it was hard to believe there was only grape juice in her wine bottle.

Meanwhile, a simultaneously tense and hysterical monologue from "Toastmaster" Perry drew the audience to the edge of its seats as it segued right into Evy's cathartic, booze-induced breakdown.

Similarly, Kotlicky's commanding stage presence and her unique ability to perform a frenzied collapse without losing plausibility swept the audience off its feet. Tejblum, too, was a sight to behold, evoking with precision the simple and genuine attitude of a 17-year-old daughter who really cares about her mother. Her compelling interactions with Evy established a strong chemistry between the two actors that carried them until the final curtain.

The aura of professionalism established after the first act was successfully maintained through the end of the play. Axelbaum played the victim extremely well, and the audience was forced to pity her feeble attempts at emotional fortitude.

As the conclusion neared, the clever character development of the play reached a climax: The disappearance of Toby's makeup revealed both her face and an intimate side filled with concern for her best friend. At the same time, the crumbling of Evy's happy-go-lucky facade paralleled her full understanding of her despair and serves as the ultimate step toward her final recognition of her daughter's unconditional love.

Director Kenny Fuentes '08 managed to convey the dynamism and wit characteristic of Simon's humorous drama. Conveyed through the actors' body language and inflections, frantic emotional instability dominated the performance. The set and costumes of the play only strengthened the production. All in all, The Gingerbread Lady carried a subtle but powerful message: No matter how passionate a relationship with a delivery boy or how strong a martini, nothing can ever replace familial love.

Editor's note: Julia Tejblum '08 is a staff writer for the Justice.