Laughter on the 23rd Floor

Reviewed by Taylor Kass

Kentwood Players at the Westchester Playhouse

Through August 6

 Working in entertainment is and has always been maddeningly unpredictable, unbearably stressful, and crazy fun – even in 1953. In Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor, inspired by his experiences writing on Your Show of Shows and Caesar’s Hour, a young comedy writer Lucas (Matthew Abosamra) cuts his teeth on the staff of The Max Prince Show. The show’s star Max Prince (Ben Lupejkis) is talented yet erratic; the writing staff is even worse. But when the network (and Prince’s paranoia) threaten the future of the show, the eccentric writing staff has no choice but to put aside their creative and personal differences to save their jobs.

The Kentwood Players, under the direction of Stanley Brown, pay the necessary attention to the script’s wacky tone and quick comedy. But the so-called chaotic writer’s room occasionally leans back into relaxed staging and a lagging pace, preventing the ensemble’s colorful characterizations from reaching their full potential. Standouts from the cast include Lyndsay Palmer as Carol, the sole female writer on the staff, whose sarcastic quips are always perfectly timed. Lou Saliba as the hypochondriac and perpetually tardy Ira Stone is impeccably irritating. It’s clear that underneath the bickering, the staff has genuine love for each other and pride in their show.

But while Simon’s masterful character-building and snappy dialogue are on full display in Laughter on the 23rd Floor, the story falls short of demonstrating why this particular show and this particular staff is so special – and why they should be spared from a cold-blooded network cancellation. With an uncertain future, a substance-dependent boss, and the anxiety of the McCarthy era, the staff does more panicking than actual writing. And with the exception of one stellar scene in which we see the writers put pen to paper and actually create a sketch, we simply have to take the characters’ word for it that The Max Prince Show has that elusive lightning-in-a-bottle magic that all TV shows strive for.

Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Ave., Westchester;  Fri., 8 pm; Sat., 2 & 8 pm; Sun., 2 pm.; through Aug. 6. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes with one 15-minute intermission. 310-645-5156 or boxoffice@kentwoodplayers.org.