Laughter on the 23rd Floor

By Neil Simon
Directed by Matt Boyle

Audition Dates: 10/15 & 10/16 from 7 – 9pm
Springville Center for the Arts

Performance Dates: 2/28-3/3, 3/15-3/17

HWMMS and I did the table read for this play and it is a riot!

“There’s no such word as feck. A person cannot go feck themselves. You cannot be an American citizen until you learn to say “Go fuck yourself.”

 

Inspired by the playwright’s youthful experience as a staff writer on Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows, with all the attendant comic drama as the harried writing staff frantically scrambles to top each other with gags while competing for the attention of star madman “Max Prince”.

Need 7 Males and 2 Females – 18 and over only.
Be prepared to read from the script. Be Forewarned: Script is peppered with intense swearing.

Character Breakdown

Lucas – The youngest and the newest member of the writing staff for “The Max Prince Show” – a live, hour and a half topical comedy show on NBC in 1953. Lucas is shy, yet ambitious, and wants to prove himself to the other writers, whom he greatly admires.

Milt – Considers himself to be “a wholesaler” while the other comedy writers are “Tiffany’s”. Milt is a flashy dresser who is cheating on his wife.

Val – The head writer. He emigrated from Russia when he was 12. “He still carries his accent” and is “the most politically aware of all of his writers.”

Brian – “He is Irish – a heavy smoker, a heavy cougher, and a heavy drinker, but with a biting sense of humor as caustic as his outlook on life.” He just sold a screenplay to MGM, and will be leaving the Max Prince Show to go to Hollywood.

Kenny – “Neatly dressed…He is surely the most sophisticated of the writers.”

Carol – Has “a strong and quick defense system that comes with being the only female staff writer on the staff.”

Ira – A hypochondriac, who is chronically late to work. “He is all energy with a touch of brilliant madness.” Ira has a grudge against fellow writer, Brian.

Max Prince – “Exudes great strength. His strength comes more from his anger than from his physique. He dominates a room with his personality. You must watch him because he’s like a truck you can’t get out of the way of. He is quixotic, changing quickly from warm, infectious laughter to sullen anger. He is often monosyllabic, offering a word or two to convey his thoughts.”

Helen – An attractive secretary who has aspirations to become a comedy writer.