GREENFIELD — CrazyLake Acting Company will present Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor on January 17th, 18th, 24th, 25th, and 26th at the HJ Ricks Centre for the Arts at 122 W. Main Street in Greenfield.
Laughter on the 23rd Floor opens a window into the early days of television when variety shows and sketch comedy were king. Drawn from the real-life writing team of Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows” (1950-1954), we get an insight into the comic genius of characters based on some of the finest humor writers of all time, including Woody Allen, Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, and Neil Simon. Their task: to turn out 90 minutes of laughs for a weekly live television show. However, as the young medium of television grows and expands, network executives begin to take more control over programing. The writers who make their living being funny suddenly find themselves in a struggle for creative control, and eventually, facing the end of an era. Directed by Christine Schaefer, CrazyLake veteran actors Trever Brown, Dennis Cole, Lee McCarty, Chris Vetters, Corey Yeaman and new faces Patrick Gawrys-Strand, Steve Kemp, Amy Studabaker, and Michael Tucker bring to life the creative forces behind the golden age of television with fast-paced dialogue, physical comedy, and mile-a-minute one-liners that are the jewels of this production.
Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m.; the Sunday matinee is at 2 p.m. $10 advanced sale tickets are available at Hometown Comics; $12 at the door. Visit the CrazyLake Acting Company Facebook page or call 317-477-ARTS for more information.
