Next Act’s neil simon comedy returns to writers’ bygone era

by Katherine beeson

Published Nov. 25, 2019 

Many of us remember watching “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” Much of the series took place inside the writers’ office of a fictional comedy show and we were treated to the hilarious trials and tribulations of Rob, Buddy and Sally as they crafted the weekly jokes and skits.  

But the real trailblazers of comedy were the writers in the 1940s and 1950s who wrote wisecracks and humorous takes on news of the day – and these bits were then presented live each week. “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” written by Neil Simon and produced by Next Act Theatre, pays homage to these pioneers of pacing, pranks and puns. The characters on stage were inspired by real-life comedy writers. This show is directed by Edward Morgan.  

The play is narrated by Lucas (the alter ego of Neil Simon.) The group is writing for “The Max Prince Show” (Sid Caesar) and Lucas’ fellow scribes are Milt (Sheldon Keller,) Val (Mel Tolkin,) Brian (Tony Webster,) Kenny (Larry Gelbart and maybe Carl Reiner,) Carol (Lucille Kallen and Selma Diamond) and Ira (Mel Brooks.)  

In this Next Act production, the actors cast in these almost-iconic roles are theater gold. Their timing is impeccable, their reactions genuine and they make each scene an ensemble success.   

The actors, who work so well in unison, are Zach Thomas Woods (Lucas), Rick Pendzich (Milt), Val (Mohammad N. ElBsat, Brian (Dylan Bolin), Seth K. Hale (Kenny), Karen Estrada (Carol), Max Prince (David Cecsarini), Helen (Lindsay Webster) and Ira (Adam Qutaishat).

I loved watching these actors embody their characters. However, this show is NOT one of my favorite Neil Simon plays. While there are certainly a number of laughs, nothing here is show-stopping funny. The plot is not very strong – comedy writers turning out a weekly script while they discuss the events of the world, including the Joe McCarthy hearings, the death of Stalin, the execution of the Rosenbergs and the steady demise of the weekly live comedy production. There is some very clever banter all through the play, but some of Max’s tirades and Ira’s medical whining go on a bit too long to be truly entertaining. Many of Simon’s plays are drawn from his own life and this particular memoir is a warm and fuzzy encapsulation of his beginnings as a comedy writer as opposed to a play with a genuine plotline unfolding.  Instead, Simon uses Lucas as the narrator, to begin the play, move the story along and finally, to wrap everything up in a neat little package at the end. But, while not a classic comedy, it is a wonderful peak at a year in the life of television’s comedic beginnings.   

 “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” runs through December 15. Next Act Theatre is located at 255 S. Water Street in Milwaukee. Visit nextact.org for complete details.