The New Jewish Theatre returns to action with a first-rate piece of ensemble work. Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor has aged well, and it turns out to be unexpectedly and unfortunately relevant in this year of turmoil. The dark clouds at the edge, however, don’t interfere with our enjoyment of the laugh-a-minute show.
Eddie Coffield, NJT’s artistic director, is a fan of Simon and he’s obviously had a good time putting together such a cast and orchestrating the snappy pace. Based on Simon’s time writing for Your Show of Shows, which starred Sid Caesar, it’s about a group of comedy writers. The hit show was quirky, offbeat and ran 90 minutes, which was not deeply unusual then.
As is often the case in Simon’s work, there’s a wide-eyed young man, usually considered to be Simon himself, here Jacob Flekier. He’s just come to work with the crew. It’s the job of his dreams. It’s quite a gang of characters. Joel Moses, playing Milt, deserves hazardous duty pay just for wearing the zany outfits he deliberately chooses.
The calm, logical but deeply funny Kenny, Michael Pierce’s character, tries, often in vain, to keep things under control. Somehow, an Irishman has gotten into this group; Brian, John Wolbers, is as fast at zingers as the others, but the accent makes them even funnier. Val, the oldest in the group and a Russian refugee, is Aaron Mermelstein, who tries to herd this bunch of feral cats.
Kirsten De Broux, the sole woman writer, brings some of us back to Sally Rogers, on “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, which was also based on this same experience. Funny and strong, she goes toe-to-toe with the guys. Ira, the resident neurotic, comes to us courtesy of David Cooperstein, absolutely owning Ira’s hysteria. Annie Zigman is the boopsie of a secretary who’s hiding her own little secret.
The star they’re writing for is Max Prince, played by Ben Ritchie, perhaps Ritchie’s best performance I’ve ever seen. He roars, he snaps, he passes out, clearly the Big Dog in any room he enters.
All this takes place in 1953 with a group who’s very aware of what’s going on in the outside world, and not just so they can do sketches about it. Stalin is alive and menacing the world with his totalitarianism. Senator Joe McCarthy is accusing everyone he doesn’t agree with of being a Communist. That’s resulted in a blacklist of writers tainted, either justly or not, thus unable to get work and that hovers, too.
Talented actors, fine direction, seriously good fun. The production staff includes scenic designer Rob Lippert, lights from Michael Sullivan, costumes via Michele Friedman Siler and sound from Kareem Deanes.
It’s like Beethoven – you’ve heard the symphonies before, but here’s a new orchestra playing an old favorite.
Laughter on the 23rd Floor
through April 10
Wool Studio Theatre
Jewish Community Center
2 Millstone Campus Drive, Creve Coeur
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