The New Jewish Theatre Presents LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR 6/2-6/20

What do Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner and Selma Diamond have in common? Most are Jewish, and all were denizens of the famed "Writer's Room" where they labored to create the comedy sketches for the live 90 minute weekly variety series, "Your Show of Shows" starring the legendary Sid Caesar. Composites of these writers make up the characters in Neil Simon's raucous comedy, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, set in 1953 during television's golden age.

The play takes a behind-the-scenes peek at what often felt like a "war zone" where the writers each battled for Caesar's nod of approval to make their words and lines a part of the show. In this fictionalized account of that time, the Caesar character becomes Max Prince, embattled king of the airwaves who is struggling, not only with his own issues of alcohol and prescription drugs, but also with the rising threat of McCarthyism as the TV network executives try to cut his show. In the new TV age, the NBC executives are afraid that Prince's humor may be too sophisticated for middle-America.

Despite some serious overtones, the play is screamingly funny with its fast paced insults, non-sequiturs and one-liners. The play is directed by Edward Coffield and features Gary Wayne Barker, Bob Harvey, Alan Knoll, Bobby Miller, Jordan Reinwald, Christian Vieira, B. Weller, Alexandra Woodruff and Kirsten Wylder who director Coffield sites as "some of the funniest actors in St. Louis."

This production ends the nearly two seasons of the "Wandering Jewish Theatre" as NJT officially inaugurates the Marvin & Harlene Wool Studio Theatre at the newly renovated JCC in Creve Coeur as the home of the New Jewish Theatre. Running dates are June 2 - 20 with performances on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 PM, Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at both 2:00 and 7:30 PM. Individual tickets are $24 - $34 and may be purchased on line through the theatre's website, www.newjewishtheatre.org or by calling the box office, 314-442-3283.

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