You ‘Ought’ to see this rendition of this Neil Simon gem

Whoa! Don’t miss this one.

“I Ought to Be in Pictures” is guaranteed to please audiences of all ages and to become one of the summer’s entertainment highlights.

Written by Neil Simon (what? another one?) and directed by Phyllis Gitlin, this three person comedy stars Jeannie Franzblau – one of the brightest young talents to hit town since Tim Diamond exploded from California State University, Long Beach.

With a name like “Franzblau” you gotta’ be good and Jeannie is sensational as Libby.

Libby thinks her dad is a red-hot Hollywood writer and she wants to be in pictures. Of course he doesn’t have a clue that she’s coming, and her appearance – after 16 years – is a shock to say the least. Poor Herb, as if he didn’t have enough problems already.

Franzblau shines in “I Ought to Be in Pictures”

Jeannie Franzblau shines like a nova throughout the Community Playhouse production of “I Ought to Be in Pictures.”

The two remaining cast members of this so-so Neil Simon play, Ken Rugg and Linda Van Dine, are no slouches, but a good part of their glow comes from the signals sent out by newcomer Franzblau in an endearing performance.

Perhaps you’ve seen too many Neil Simons, and perhaps you’ve seen “Ought To Be” just one too many times, but nothing should keep you from experiencing Franzblau. In the “business,” there is a word called “choices,” and it has to do with the many options an actor has in “re-acting.” One could cry, laugh, shout or whisper, and all on the same cue. What makes Franzblau so special is that she makes not only intelligent choices, but she also makes them appealing.

In the role of Libby, the abandoned daughter who hitchhikes across the country to see her ne’er-do-well father, a complete stranger to her, Franzblau has created a grungy, smart-mouth but vibrant New Yawwwk brat. It’s a neat trick because no one over 16 could tolerate such a combination without redeeming features. And Franzblau has many, among them honest passion and charm. Charm is what J.M. Barrie (in “What Every Woman Knows”) called “a sort of bloom on a woman. If you have it, you don’t need to have anything else.” Franzblau has it in spades.