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You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your neighbors, that is unless you are Elliot Emerson (impressive Richard Thomas,) real estate agent and president of the Vernon Point Homeowners Association. Acknowledging changing demographics, he carefully curates his beloved neighborhood, ensuring that the homes maintain certain landmark requirements but also that the inhabitants meet his own personal standards.

The nine people that meet in Kyra’s living room are a diverse group. Kyra (Anika Noni Rose) has just moved from Baltimore with her husband and 10-year-old twins. Invited to join the board by her friend Melissa (Jeena Yi) Kyra is quick to get involved, since she’s concerned about the dangerous intersection outside her home. Encouraged to form a subcommittee to remedy the situation, she proposes putting up stop signs. However, she meets resistance from Elliot who waxes nostalgic about the promenade, not wanting to spoil the view with stop signs. Although the sub-committee agrees with her, when the entire group convenes, the vote is entirely against the stop signs, siding with Elliot.

What begins as a calm peaceful disagreement leads to a battle royal as members take sides.

One can only envision our national politics to imagine how contentious political arguments must be. Fortunately, this neighborhood dispute is quite comical while underscoring heavier themes of diversity and prejudice. At one point, Alan (Michael Esper) a white teacher, has a melt-down, noting that he feels that everything he does and says is seen as politically incorrect. The board is racially diverse, and its members keep drawing attention to their differences. There’s a token gay Black man (Carl Clemons-Hopkins from TV’s Hacks,) a Latino man who laughs at being referred to a LatinX (Ricardo Chavira from TV’s Desperate Housewives) and an angry Asian lesbian, Melissa who is always being mistaken for someone else. Quietly in the background but paying attention to everything is Luz, the housekeeper (Maria-Christina Oliveras).

The best laughs and lines come from two veteran actors. Penny is portrayed by 86-year-old Marylouise Burke, seemingly naive, as she takes the minutes. Margaret Colin as Ruth, is unabashedly frank and honest. She purposely eggs people on. She waits to remove her rabbit jacket so she can taunt PETA member Willow (Kayli Carter.) Later she asks Kyra, who is Black, why she didn't hire a white maid to get even. She herself has a German maid. Colin’s spot-on delivery is hysterical.

As the members discuss neighborhood issues of safety including a rash of stolen Amazon packages, their prejudices emerge. Although Penny insists they are ‘all nice people,’ their true feelings are revealed in their discussions.

Elliot is gently manipulative but later labels Kyra as cunning, especially when she uses Facebook to try to get neighborhood support behind his back. She turns on him for wanting to keep things ‘white,’ the way they were in the past. The title The Balusters refers to neighbors who must be reported to the Landmark Commission for changing the look of their Victorian porch. Elliot resists change and when he loses control of the association, he has a physical outburst, using the sample balusters to lash out.

Playwright David Lindsay-Abaires’s script is funny and insightful. His characterizations are skilled and with a few comments, we quickly learn who these people are. The very talented cast is expertly directed by Kenny Leon. Rose gives a fine performance as a strong assertive woman and Thomas shows a side we haven't seen before, especially when Elliot doesn't get his way.

I didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did and really enjoyed the performance. The play is reminiscent of Jonathan Spector’s play Eureka Day where a committee of private school parents meet. It also uses humor to deal with serious issues.

The Balusters is extremely entertaining, and you will laugh throughout the 110-minute production. Yet it’s thought-provoking as well. A spoonful of sugar makes the heavy themes easier to accept.