Wit and Nostalgia Take Center Stage With Laughter on the 23rd Floor at Masquerade Theatre
by Angela Robb
“Laughter on the 23rd Floor” is a 1993 play written by Neil Simon. Despite the year of its release the show takes place in 1953 at the height of the McCarthy era. The show centers on a group of New York City comedy writers in the writer’s room of “The Max Prince Show”, a “Your Show of Shows” esque variety show on NBC. In between their workplace antics and interactions with coworkers the team faces pressure from studio executives regarding budget cuts and the impending doom of cancelation. Additionally, the staff faces the looming threat of McCarthyism and how the blacklisting of Hollywood affects not only their careers but also their lives.
The overarching fear of the rise of Joseph McCarthy is widely prevalent in this production. Director Shawn O’Brien pushed the comedy and absurdity that typically takes the forefront in most other productions of the piece to the backburner in order to focus on the uneasy political climate of the period. I thought this was a fascinating director’s choice that really illustrated how the industry was affected during this historical period rather than choosing to leave it as subtext. While this was a choice that wasn’t consistently effective through the show, it was something that I found unique regardless. I really appreciated O’Brien’s ability to take risks with directorial choices and not just copy the traditional visions other directors have brought to the piece in the past.
Another unique thing about O’Brien’s direction is the use of immersion to bring the audience into the space as a fly on the wall. In some ways this really worked such as audience members being greeted by Helen, Max’s secretary, from her desk in the hallway as she welcomed guests to the writer’s room. She acted as though the patrons were visitors in the building and let them know where they could sit and which spaces were for the writers only. Sarah Gomez, the actress playing Helen, was perfectly cast and was able to do a lot with a little. She used a character voice feeling very reminiscent of Fran Fine and even in her moments of total improv with the patrons prior to the start of the show Gomez was able to not only maintain character but also expand on it. Her station in the hallway contained an actual desk with Helen’s personal effects on it which was a detail I really enjoyed. Gomez was one of my favorite performers in the production and I was happy to see some more of her interpretation of the character in these unscripted moments. Helen is a role that is typically played very ditzy but Gomez didn’t take that route and instead portrayed her as smart in her own way. Though her character floats in and out of the show as she is called into the room by her boss, Gomez was a scene stealer each time she was on stage and had natural stage presence.
The immersive experience continues upon walking into the theatre space. The usual in the round staging that Masquerade is known for was shifted to more of a U shape for this production. While part of me wishes it maintained the in the round structure for this production to really make the audience feel like they were in the writers room, I liked how O’Brien was able to create the best of both worlds. The majority of seats were facing the stage in a traditional format but about a fourth of the seats were to the side in a sort of on stage seating. With that being said, there were some challenges that came with this type of staging. Within the round staging cast members having their backs to the audience is part of the experience as each seat offers a unique perspective into what is happening on stage. But with the majority of seats facing the stage in a traditional way the use of backs to the audience was extremely distracting especially in pivotal moments such as Lucas introducing himself in his opening monologue while preparing his morning coffee and Max giving his emotional concluding dialogue towards the finale of the show to his staff with his back completely to the audience for the entirety of the monologue. On the opposite note there was too much fourth wall break from the actors. Lucas, as the show’s narrator, should have been the only one interacting with the audience but multiple characters were motioning to the audience and mugging jokes which got to be too much. It was very distracting and felt like it took away from the sense of grounding that O’Brien was intending to bring out with his direction.
The set was designed by Scott Reynolds who really was able to make the room feel like a 1950s era writer’s room. This was highlighted by Chris Goldstein who designed the props, and was able to make the room come to life. The writer’s room housed a cork board on the wall with multicolored post-its and other notes for sketches for that night’s show and communications among the staff and a long writer’s table in the main part of the space covered with clipboards, pencils, newspapers, ashtrays, and cigarettes. Also in the room is a small table with a typewriter in the corner and on the back wall a long table holding coffee, mugs, and breakfast pastries which decreases in quality as the show experiences budget cuts underneath a large colored poster of Max Prince. Due to the way Neil Simon wrote the play we only get small pieces of understanding of what the show is like and I would have liked to have seen that personality come out more in the poster showing something like a logo for the show. There were also black and white photos of celebrities on the wall all around the audience but I think if Max was included in those photos making it look like they were guests on the show would have helped tell the story and establish setting. On either side of the poster there were open windows showing the New York City skyline. One thing I often find in community theatres where there is an open window or door there isn’t anything behind it to show the outside world. Kudos to Reynolds for this attention to detail, especially since the office’s location on the 23rd floor is imperative to establishing the setting.
At the start of the show we are introduced to Lucas Brickman, the newest member of the staff and the narrator of the show, played by Andrew Fralinger. Fralinger brought a sense of kindness to the role which really made him stand out amongst his chaotic coworkers. He always made sure that everyone was ok, often checking in on Max when he was out of it and Milt when he revealed that his wife was leaving him. This level of genuineness was nice and offered a rare touch of connection among the coworkers who typically show their love through jokes and insults. Lucas spends the first half of the show wanting to fit in with his coworkers and be a big time writer like them. I felt like this sense of desire and idealism wasn’t able to be explored due to the ages of the actors. I would have preferred to see a younger Lucas to really show this sense of optimism and greenness but Fralinger played the same age as half of the writers which isn’t his fault. Though the costume department attempted to make up for this by dressing him in things like bowties to amplify the concept of youth, it didn’t quite fill the void.
Lucas provides bookends to the show by narrating the beginning and end of each scene. These monologues were too flat and one note for my taste. It felt like an actor reading a monologue rather than Lucas looking back on his memories of his first big writing job. I don’t think this is necessarily Fralinger’s fault but likely a side effect of O’Brien focusing on the drama of the piece rather than bringing out the comedy. They weren’t performed in the style of comedic monologues at all, which was an unfortunate consequence of O’Brien’s genre shift. Lucas spends the majority of the time listening to his coworkers rather than engaging with them so these monologues are the audience’s window into Lucas’s true personality and felt like a missed opportunity to highlight who he is and why he was on a comedy writing staff in the first place.
Next we meet Milt Fields played by John Kunkle, the office smart alec who always has a sarcastic comment to say. From his first entrance he brought about a condescending and pompous air which is highlighted by his outlandish outfits such as a cape and beret in his introduction and a full white suit later in the show. This is clear in his scenes with Lucas where they are the only two on stage. Lucas’s wide eyed innocence contrasts with Milt’s cynicism but with the comedy taking a back seat the jokes written into the scene by Simon flew over everyone’s heads as the scenes were directed to be dramatic. I felt like Kunkle did too good of a job at making Milt into a jerk. The comments that could have been portrayed in a quick witted Ryan Reynolds sort of way just came across as rude. As with Lucas, I would have liked to have seen more of Milt’s style of humor showcased to identify what purpose he served on The Max Prince Show. Milt wasn’t blocked to the writer’s table at all and mostly sat on the couch at the back of the room away from the group which really made me long to see his contributions to the writing staff even more.
Val Slotsky played by Tony Killian, a Russian immigrant who serves as the head writer on the show. Killian was one of my favorite actors in the piece. His accent stayed consistent throughout the play and he established a sense of authority over the other writers not only due to his position but also his age. I really enjoyed Killian’s presence on the staff, and I thought he interacted with the others well. Killian showed a range of emotions towards his coworkers from annoyance to anger at Milt’s frequent racist remarks and affection to Carol in her moments of worry. Jim Ludovici enters the stage next as Brian Doyle, a chain smoker impatiently waiting for Hollywood to come calling. I felt that Ludovici brought the right amount of bitterness to the role, showing his frustration at being stuck in his life and career when he is longing for more. Ludovici did well at maintaining character throughout the play and was commonly seen playing with his cigarette lighter or coughing from the smoke even when his character was not the focus of the scene. However, Brian is another role I wish was cast younger. Not only would it have really highlighted the “mid-30’s slump” Brian is going through but also made some of the references made regarding his character, including his fate at the end of the show, make more sense.
Coming in next is Kenny Franks played by Matthew Moorhead, the most respected member of the writing staff and also the first to reach success, writing jokes for Jack Benny before he was even old enough to stay up and watch it. Moorhead was another favorite performer in the production. He had this aura of confidence surrounding him without coming across as arrogant. The level of respect shown to him by the rest of the staff wasn’t used by Kenny for self gain but to help the rest of the staff, for example warning them when he finds out that one of them will be fired for budget cuts. I found him to be the most well rounded member of the team and really enjoyed what Moorhead brought to the table in order to bring him to life. He didn’t play him as a kid that got lucky or a nepo-baby. Instead he played him as someone who got his big break early but still earned everything he has.
Carol Wyman, played by Kristine Bonaventura, enters next and is noticeably the only woman on the staff. She is a worrier and tends to focus on the negatives as seen in her first entrance when she immediately brings news about McCarthy’s latest communist accusation and fearing that the government has the writer’s room bugged. She also desires to be seen as an equal among the writing staff and not just a woman. Despite this she isn’t afraid to show her femininity as her journey to motherhood is her primary character arch throughout the play. I thought Bonaventura portrayed a good balance between wanting to be seen as “one of the guys” while still being confident in her skin. The final member of the writing staff is Ira Stone, played by Ed Silberman, a chronic hypochondriac and attention seeker. His annoying, disruptive, and argumentative nature rubs his coworkers the wrong way. He and Brian are frequently at each other’s throats and even the usually level headed Carol can’t stand him. Silberman is able to portray all of Ira’s idiosyncrasies smoothly and naturally. He didn’t get too worked up too quick and paced his emotions well. Neil Simon didn’t write a lot of moments for the writers to show what comedic talents they brought to the table but from his first entrance Silberman was able to bring that out. Silberman made it clear that Ira was extremely funny and talented and why he wasn’t fired already.
Rounding out the cast is Rico Santiago as Max Prince, the larger than life TV personality who is simultaneously a comic genius and a complete madman on a downward spiral. Santiago really brought out the zaniness of the character as he descends into erratic behavior from work stress. These moments of insanity were portrayed with thoughtful predictability. Santiago carefully paced each moment with his behavior growing more erratic as time passes and his pills kick in. In his moments of confusion you could see the blankness in his stare and in his moments of frustration you could see the flash of anger in his eyes. The range of emotions Santiago brought to the table were very impressive and didn’t seem theatrical at all, but to the contrary very natural.
Tommy Balne designed the lighting for this production. I thought the show was well lit, with red and white alternating lights across the ceiling. Shawn O’Brien, along with stage manager Courtney Bundens, designed the costumes for the production which was one of my favorite parts of the design. Despite me mentioning some of them earlier in the review I wanted to give the costumes a special shout out. Oftentimes in community theatre, especially when the clothes are more modern, they take clothes off the rack or from the personal wardrobes of the actors without thought of how this fits the character. With this production each costume fit the personality of the character wearing it completely. I also appreciated the different types of colors and fabrics worn by each character. Very often in shows like this I’ll just see the same colors and styles of men’s suits but no two costumes were alike and it was really visually appreciated. Val wore an old school gray suit which not only showed his age and status but also gave the feeling like it was something he had for a long time and may have gotten from his home county. Kenny was dressed in a tan sweater vest and glasses which showed his youth but also a sense of maturity compared to Lucas who was clean shaven and wore bowties throughout the show signifying that he was even younger. The difference in clothing styles of Helen and Carol I found to be a nice contrast. Helen was in a light blue polka dot dress that looked like the definition of a 1950s outfit and Carol was in a dark dress that could work in the 1950s and even today. I found this interesting that Carol, a woman working in a male dominated field, wore a more progressive outfit and the dark colors symbolized more of a seriousness that she brought to the team. Carol’s dress and floral pattern really stood out among the menswear and additionally stood her out as the only woman on the staff.
I often find myself asking when a community theatre puts on a specific show “Why was this show put on in the first place? Why did the director and producers feel like this story needed to be told?”. With politics challenging art increasing daily in our society, from parent groups banning books from libraries to Donald Trump unprecedentedly naming himself as chairman of the board of the Kennedy Center it is clear why this piece was chosen and why it continues to be relevant. “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” is a show that isn’t produced as often as it should be and if you buy a ticket to see it at Masquerade Theatre you’re in for a treat of seeing it directed in a way that you might not see again! Masquerade is one of, if not the, smallest theatre in South Jersey and frequently sells out so don’t wait to get a ticket! Laughter on the 23rd Floor runs through March 15, you can purchase tickets here: https://www.simpletix.com/e/laughter-on-the-23rd-floor-tickets-179255
