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2928 West 13th St. Ashtabula, Ohio 44004
phone: 440-964-3396 |
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Review of "Laughter on the 23rd Floor":
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Posted: Thursday, March 27, 2003
by Roger Smith (for the Ashtabula Star Beacon)
I laughed out loud all evening. Watching the characters being introduced in this play was like pouring water into an empty glass. The fun just kept filling up the stage; no question about whether the glass was half-full or half-empty.
 This Neil Simon adult comedy (because of the rough language) is on the boards of the Ashtabula Arts Center's G. B. Community Theatre. Directed by Douglas Eric Anderson, the play is the story of how the 1950's Max Prince Comedy Show gets put together. More importantly, it is the stories of the intriguing people behind the scenes who sit around the table and bring laughter to America.
Danny Henning, the youngster in the cast, did an admirable job as the new hire in the writers guild. As this young man gets more and more experience under his belt, his performances become more and more enjoyable. Larry Gasch as writer Milt Fields probably gave his best ever performance. Versatility is one of the keys to being a good actor, and Chad Helms possesses that characteristic. In a role that required a constant, strong accent Chad kept the audience guffawing.
Michael E. Hlebik, as comic writer Ira Stone, kept the group and the audience on its collective toes. This guy was nothing but funny. Gary Feiler and David DeWitt kept up the laugh pace with their role interpretations; their stage experience showed through.
Diane Boyce was good in her role as the secretary to Max Prince. Maureen Tanner, as Carol Wyman, was the perfect embattled woman in the group: she 'lived' with the group, so she had to be a member of the group. Christopher J. Nappi was cast as the wacky star of the comedy show. Strong in every aspect of Max Prince's personality, Nappi portrayed the 'swan song' of the comedian to perfection.
All in all, the confluence of good acting, good sets/technical and good costuming makes this two and one-half hour show one to pencil in on your calendar of events.
Laughter on the 23rd Floor continues March 28, 29 and 30 and April 3, 4 and 5. Sunday matinees are at 2:00 p.m. and all other performances are at 8:00 p.m. Tickets may be reserved by phoning the Arts Center.
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"Laughter on the 23rd Floor":
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Posted: Wednesday, March 19, 2003
Travel back to the era of the Golden Age of Television and sit in on the writing sessions of some of America�s funniest comedians ever in Neil Simon�s comedy �Laughter on the 23rd Floor,� on stage March 21-23, 28-30 and April 3-5.
 The show is set on the 23rd floor of a skyscraper in downtown New York, in the creative offices of the fictional sitcom �The Max Prince Show.� Here seven comic geniuses, under the direction of Max Prince himself, work their magic to bring together the situations which occur on each of the weekly shows.
But this �behind the scenes tour� proves that penning a sitcom doesn�t always come as easily as the actors on television make it seem. Try as he might, Max (played by Chris Nappi) cannot always get his staff to stop procrastinating, complaining and competing with each other long enough to sit down and write the script for the show. One-liners and sarcastic comments abound inside the office, although they are usually directed more at each other than the script for which they are supposed to be writing!
 Much of this is due to the eccentric personalities of the writers themselves. Included on the team are Brian, a young Irish dreamer with his heart set on writing in Hollywood (played by Gary Feiler); Ira, a chronically late hypochondriac with a never-ending string of creative excuses (played by Michael Hlebik); Val, a Russian emigrant who likes to swear - although his accent sometimes gets in the way of pronouncing a certain unmentionable word! (played by Chad Helms); Kenny, a logical thinker who sometimes seems to be the only sane mind in the room (played by David DeWitt); Milt, an insult artist who prides himself on his �flair for fashion� (played by Larry Gasch); and Carol, a pregnant woman prone to fits of hormonally induced crying (played by Maureen Tanner).
These characters are loosely based on such comic legends such Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Lucille Kallen, Woody Allen, Larry Gelbart, and Sid Caesar, all of whom Simon worked with while starting out as a young writer penning the comedy �Your Show of Shows� in the 1950�s.
In addition, the narrator of the play is Lucas (played by Danny Henning), a character based on Simon himself. As the youngest writer and newcomer to the team, he explains that his acceptance into this zany group came on the day when he sprayed lighter fluid on his desk and set it ablaze.
Meanwhile, aside from attempts to get his staff to work together, Max is plagued with other problems, including convincing the NBC brass to keep his show on the air. During an era of change for both the entertainment industry and America as a whole, often what America found funny and what television censors allowed were two different things. Biting satire and parodies were on their way out, and family shows like �Leave it to Beaver� were moving in. Would �The Max Prince Show� survive this change, or would it fall prey to the demands of the network executives?
�Laughter on the 23rd Floor� will run for three weekends, March 21-23, 28-30, and April 3-5. Curtain is 8 p.m. for all performances except the Sunday matinees, which begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are available now.
Special Dinner Theatre Presentation of "Laughter on the 23rd Floor"
Saturday, March 29, 6:30 p.m.
Debra Greene-Lowe, Chef
MENU
Fresh Greens with Mandarin Oranges and Sweet & Sour Dressing
Leek and Potato Soup
Beef Brisket with Apricots and Spices
Herbed Roasted Potatoes
Green Beans with Almonds
Rolls and Butter
Trifle with Fresh Fruit
Assorted Beverages
Tickets for the dinner are $12 per person, in addition to the price of a theater ticket, and reservations are due no later than Thursday, March 27, at noon.
Due to the language used in this show, �Laughter on the 23rd Floor� is recommended for mature audiences only.
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