Barefoot in the Park Photos

Samantha Cormier & Steve Wood

Barefoot in the Park is a comedy written by Neil Simon.

Newlywed couple Corie and Paul Bratter move into their first home: a minuscule fifth-floor walkup apartment in a downtown Manhattan brownstone. Paul is a straight-laced attorney, while Corie is a spontaneous free-spirit. The two must contend with a lack of heat, a skylight with a gaping hole, several long flights of stairs, oddball neighbor Victor Velasco, and Corie's well-meaning mother, in addition to adjusting to married life.

Inspired by the early days of Simon's then-current marriage, Barefoot in the Park was the playwright’s third effort, following the comedy Come Blow Your Horn and the musical, Little Me. It was his first major hit.

After two previews, the Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, opened on October 23, 1963 at the Biltmore Theatre, where it ran for 1530 performances, making it Simon's longest running show.