'DOCTOR' IS IN THE HOUSE DIRECTOR STEPHANIE SHROYER BRINGS ALIVE LESSER-KNOWN SIMON WORK.

Byline: Suzie St. John Correspondent

When Stephanie Shroyer signed on to direct the upcoming production of Neil Simon's ``The Good Doctor'' at the Pasadena Playhouse, she was catapulted back in time to being a 14-year-old high school student.

``This was the first play I ever saw, and it made such an impression on me,'' Shroyer explained. ``I loved all the kids playing multiple parts. It was very funny and holds such a place in my history.''

The two-time recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award has also had a long-standing interest in Russian playwrights and literature, making her decision to tackle this project a no-brainer.

In this rarely performed comedy, Simon takes characters created by Russian author Anton Chekhov and weaves a number of mini-plays into one production as seen through the writer/narrator's imagination.

``People think Simon is funny, but they don't think about the technical prowess he uses in his writing,'' said Shroyer, who divides her time between teaching at the University of Southern California and directing plays at local theaters. ``When it comes to the art of writing, there are a lot of parallels between (Simon and Chekhov).''

Though the majority of Simon's Pulitzer Prize-winning works are well- known in and out of the theater community, ``The Good Doctor'' isn't generally counted among them. It premiered on Broadway in 1973 and, although it is considered one of his most interesting plays, it remains one of his lesser-known.

What separates this play from others written by Simon (``Barefoot in the Park,'' ``The Odd Couple,'' ``California Suite,'' ``Brighton Beach Memoirs'') is that it's not based on his life.

Prior to this play and the works that followed it, Simon's trademark was to use his own life for inspiration. He wrote ``The Good Doctor'' during a very difficult time in his life: His first wife was gravely ill and was not aware of the seriousness of her condition.

He wanted things to remain as normal as possible but finding himself at a loss as to what to write, he garnered inspiration from reading Chekhov's stories.

In this newest production, starring Michael Learned and Harry Groener, audiences will watch skits involving a mistress and the governess she is cheating; a dentist and his long-suffering patient; a seducer and the object of his desire who turns the tables on him; a sneezing subordinate and the general he confronts; an entertainment made of a drowning man; the sublime audition of a young actress; a woman making demands of a bank officer; and a touching father trying to help his son become a man.

Cast in the title role of the writer/narrator, Groener is the glue that bonds the mini-plays together because the skits are all products of his imagination. As the writer/narrator, Groener transforms himself into each of the playlets as he imagines it.

Consequently, he is the only cast member found in every scene of the play. ``It's a ball to play so many different characters; it's a lot more work, but that's part of the challenge and it's actually a lot of fun,'' said Groener, who was recently seen as the mayor in several episodes of the popular television show ``Buffy the Vampire Slayer.''

He has also appeared in episodes of ``Just Shoot Me,'' ``West Wing,'' ``Law & Order'' and ``3rd Rock From the Sun.'' He has also starred in numerous Broadway productions, earning him three Tony nominations for his various roles.

Groener believes the task of playing multiple roles in ``The Good Doctor'' is made easier thanks to Shroyer's approach to directing.

``She wants to do it like Simon intended but also says, 'Let's raise the bar a bit.' She tries to find the absolute truth in a scene before adding in the comedy,'' explained Groener, who is making his second appearance at the Pasadena Playhouse. In 1991, he starred in the Cole Porter musical ``You Never Know.''

He doesn't believe that the different skits will be a distraction for the audience - again giving credit to Shroyer.

``It's very easy to follow because of the way Stephanie staged it. As (the writer/narrator) walks around the environment, the stories just start coming out of him,'' Groener said. ``People really underestimate how difficult it is to do Simon.''

Best-known for her roles on the long-running series ``The Waltons'' and on the hit show ``Nurse,'' Learned can be seen in four of the production's eight mini-dramas. ``The scenes all have a bite to them, but they're very funny and very poignant,'' said Learned, who'll be making her Pasadena Playhouse debut.

Out of the four scenes she's in, she said the hardest one to do is the one involving the mistress and the governess because ``it's so hard to be sooooo mean.'' With the play set to open on Sunday, Learned said she and the rest of the cast (Raye Birk, Marita Geraghty and Time Winters) are buoyed by the boundless energy Groener exerts and by Shroyer's sense of direction.

``I haven't always had such good luck with women directors and was starting to think it was just me,'' said Learned, who has won four best actress Emmy Awards during her career. ``Stephanie has a great eye and gives you feedback that is so helpful. She really knows how to talk to actors.''

Groener joined in Learned's assessment saying, ``I had heard she was the bees' knees, and now I'm a fan.''

The facts

--The show: ``The Good Doctor.''

--Where: Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena.

--When: Sunday through Aug. 20. 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 5 and 9 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday.

--Tickets: $15 to $42.50 available through Telecharge [phone] or the Pasadena Playhouse Customer Service Center, open from 10 a.m. to curtain on performance days and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays.

--Information: [phone].

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Photo:

Michael Learned, left, puts a curse on Raye Birk and Harry Groener during a dress rehearsal of ``The Good Doctor,'' which opens Sunday at the Pasadena Playhouse. ``The scenes all have bite to them,'' Learned says.

Josh Estey/Staff Photographer