The Folks At Home Is Good Times

The Folks at Home, by R. Eric Thomas, is a Western New York premiere comedy on the stage of The Alleyway Theater ( 1 Curtain Up Plaza) in downtown Buffalo. The Folks at Home takes place at Roger Harrison and Brandon Harrison-Littlfield’s large lovely South Baltimore row house. A married interracial gay couple they are behind on their mortgage after Roger was let go from his more than five year job as an almost licensed real estate agent. Brandon wants to sell the house and Roger does not. But Roger’s parents drop in and announce they need to move in, the same day Brandon’s mom shows up with the same announcement. Oh, and there may or may not be a ghost in the house.

Director Daniel F. Lendzian says the play is “a love letter to great sit-coms of the 70's,” adding, Folks at Home continues the classic sitcom legacy of putting a “cast of lovable characters in difficult situations” while discussing social issues with humor, humanity and love.

As an avid Norman Lear sitcom viewer I saw and heard the love on the stage of The Folks at Home and I laughed hard, and often. A few times laughter tried to snatch my breath! And like so many episodes of Good Times, when we thought the Evans family was finally going to get out of the projects and something bad happens that holds them, yeah, I cried, too.

The production stars Ujima Company member and Artie award-winner, Shanntina Moore, as Pamela Harrison; Buffalo natives Roderick Garr, as Vernon Harrison ( who recently starred in Anne of Green Gables at Theater of Youth, and Master Harold and The Boys at Irish Classical Theater), and PK Forston, who’s appeared in productions at Paul Robeson Theater and Ujima Theater, plays Roger Harrison.

Every scene featuring Moore and Garr fills the stage with a truth whether a comedic truth or dramatic. You immediately know who these people are before they open their mouths. When they do open their mouths, you’re going to laugh a lot. Just wait until you hear Garr try to retell to Forston and Moore a joke he saw on the internet. The family relationships they have created for these roles are familiar and authentic. Garr and Moore are acting chameleons with such great range. We are so lucky to have their talent in our city!

You will know this couple. You may know this family and I’m sure you will like and care for every character in this warm, funny and thought provoking play about multi-generational modern family living. Also appearing are Josie Divencenzo as Maureen Littlefield; Ryan Adam Norton as Brandon Littlefield Harrison, and Julianna Tracey as Brittany Littlefield /Alice.

The Folks at Home opens February 14 and runs thru March 2. For tickets and more information visit

Alleyway.com or call the theater at 716–852–2600.

Originally published at https://www.buffchallnews.com on February 15, 2024.