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AUTHOR Carr, John C. TITLE 's "Laughter on the 23rdFloor." Spotlight on Theater Notes. INSTITUTION John F. Kennedy Center for thePerforming Arts, , D.C. SPONS AGENCY Department of Education, Washington, DC. PUB DATE [95) NOTE 13p.; Produced by the Performance PlusProgram, Kennedy Center Education Department.Funding also provided by the Kennedy Center Corporate Fund.For other guides in this series, seeCS 508 902-906. PUB TYPE Guides General (050)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Acting; *Cultural Enrichment;*Draila; Higher Education; Interview..; Playwriting; Popular Culture; Secondary Education; Television IDENTIFIERS *Laughter on the 23rd Floor; *Simon (Neil)

ABSTRACT This booklet presents a variety ofmaterials concerning Neil Simon's play "Laughter onthe 23rd Floor." After a brief introduction to the play, thebooklet presents a profile of the playwright, several lists of hisaccomplishments, information on his work for television, a quiz aboutplays, biographical information on the producer, director, actors anddesigners, and a 3-item list of additional readings. (RS)

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_re 2 a ACCT rpm/ AVAII API 0 r; - ° rr 01- .91a, inmearegelmirkii' 1111111.111.111.1111.11.1.11.1111_,... n 1953, two extraordinary events The play Laughter on the 23rd Floor (our happened in my life: I got married and offices were in a high-rise building in New 11became a writer on "Your Show of York) is a picture that closely resembles the Shows," starring . Both events real life that went on in the writers' room. made me extremely happy. I was 26 years Mostly we laughed, talked, argued, and ate, old, and on the first day I went to work on anything to put off the inevitable writing. But the Caesar staff, I was awed by the gifts and when we worked we burned the midnight oil, talents of the other writersMel Brooks, and sometimes burned the drapes and , (who went on to desktops as well. There is very little create "M*A*S*H"), , my brother exaggeration in the play. There was also very Danny, and a few others. After two years on great pressure on all of us to deliver on the "," Sid Caesar moved on air, as NBC feared our show was too esoteric, to have his own show, "Caesar's Hour," taking too smart for the new rural audiences who most of the writing staff with him. Sid Caesar were getting their first TVs. This pressure was big in every way--in his size, hishumor, was mostly felt by Sid Caesar, who began to his appetite, his anger, and his take tranquilizers and Scotch to calm his love of his writers. During this nerves. But it never held hack his anger in period, America was besieged dealing with less-than- imelligent network by Communist hunters led by executives and threats to America by men Joseph McCarthy and Roy like Senator McCarthy. Cohn. Writers, actors, I've always believed humor is fed by directors, and everyone conflict. We had our share of both, and I connected with the arts lived in hope that Laughter on the 23rd Floor will fear of being put on their give you an intimate picture and a front row blacklist, which made you seat as to what went on in the writers' room F ®r television in the early '50s. viewers of a unemployable in television. certain age, "Your Show of Shows" was a weekly addiction. An hour- long starring Sid Caesar and , it claimed the major share of audience attentionn Saturday evenings from 1950 to 1954. Besides Neil Simon, writers for the show who went on to other considerable successes included , , and Larry Nlbart. Lists are sometimes the best way to put Neil Simon's accomplishments in perspective. Lists on this and the next three pages try to do that Images of cornucopias, never-emptying cups, and Niagara Falls come to mind when one considers Neil Simon's prolific writing. His first widely seen theatrical work was as co-writer with his brother, Danny, for sketches they contributed to the Broadway musicals Catch a Star (1955) and New Faces (1956). Since 1961 he has supplied Broadway with one hit show after another Here is a list of Simon's 27 plays to date. How many have you

Tr seen9 Memoirs Suite >f:). V. The Gingerbread Lady God's Favorite I Ought to ?Re in Pictures Jake's Women Last of the Hot Lovers Laughter on the 23rd Floor Little Me Plaza Swte The Prisoner of Second Avenue Promises, Promises The Star Spangled Girl erect5 : ItBroaorg tic; a-paton They're Playing Our Song "ay: This spring his 28th show, rdonuinent V,eil Swte, will open oflaghter,beit." off-Broadway. saint 'haveto ,/ Stemon.

'0 as George in Chapter Two, and as Eugene.in Red Suff044: , Biloxi Blues, and Broadway Bound. Amalgams of himself and "Sit 114, 4100ge at a Pawn" his brother, Danny, appear elsewhere, as they do in the character of Lucas in Laughter on "I am the most alive the 2.3rd Floor. Simon's parents, wives, and former co-workers turn up in other plays. and most fulfilled Born in in 1927, Simon began his sitting alone in a room, career writing for an Army camp newspaper. After discharge, he became a mailroom clerk hoping that those words for Warner Bros.' office. Soon he forming on the paper in was writing for radio, providing material for the Smith-Corona will Robert Q. Lewis and , and then for television, where he put words in the be the first perfect play mouths of , , Red ever writtenin a single Buttons, Garry Moore, and, most famously, Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. draft." After he and his brother provided sketches Thus spake Neil Simon in 1979, in the for two Broadway revues in the , he introductory essay to an anthology of his gave his attention to becoming a full-time plays. Nothing that has happened in the playwright. With Come Blow Your Horn in intervening 16 years seems to havechanged 1961, he began a succession of plays that that fascinating disclosure. The would eventually make him the most popular of American creator of more hit playwrights continues to shows than anyone in surprise and delight American theater history. audiences with the funny- Simon has received sad observations that multiple award he and the Smith- nominations and awards, Corona turn outsingle including the Tony, Emmy, Oscar, draft or not. Writer's Guild, and (London) Evening Although he has been called Standard. He received the a "laugh machine," a Three Neil in 1991. In 1975 "wisecracker," and a master of Simon plays he received a for his "overall "one-line zingers," Simon has stand among the longest - always shown usbetween, in. running Broadway contribution to the theater." and around the lineswhat productions: He has been profiled on the London critic Herbert Kretzmer Barefoot in the Park PBS series "." calls "the pain, aspiration, and 1,530 performances Realizing that Simon writes panic behind all those flip Brighton Beach Memoirs about himself and those he phrases." 1,2P9 performances knows, and recognizing that his One of the secrets of Simons Promises. Promises plays (and their screen success lies in the factthat his 1,281 performances adaptations) reach vast audi- humor starts, as he pins it, "withcharacters." ences, it is no wonder that histhird wife, And since, with few exceptions, hisplays are Diane Landers, required a pre-nuptial agree- his autobiography, he knows those ment that prevents him from writing about characters well. Ilis experiences throughout her or her (laughter during her lifetime. So, his life and his relationships withand although Simon has described himself as "that observations of his family, friends, and person sitting in the corner who'sobserving acquaintances all appear in variousguises. it all," we can forget about his sharing Simon himself appears many times, most observations on his current domestic life. notably as Buddy in ( 'nine Mow lourHorn. lit that case, where to next, Mr. Simon? 42.9 dtY Not Only

C4' does Neil Simon hold the \) playwriting record for the greatest number of hits in the 4 American theater, but he also holds the record for the '. 'SO greatest number of plays 1.4.3w 471b adapted for film: Come Blow Your Horn Barefoot in the Park The Odd Couple The Star Spangled Girl Last of the Red Hot Lovers The Gingerbread Lady (under the title Only When I Laugh)

E'-kv 0- .r The Sunshine Boys 4 I Ought to Be in Pictures ; ? I The Prisoner of Second Avenue Chapter Two lit Brighton Beach Memoirs Biloxi Blues I Broadway Bound Lost In Yonkers Additionally, the musical Sweet Charity, for which he wrote the book, was also filmed. Neil Simon's ®rlirtc,1 fit scripts include: The Out of Towners A The Goodbye Girl (later adapted as a J Broadway musical) The Heartbreak Kid Seems Like Old Times The Slugger's Wife

Aiame cle/44044 For a man who has created andnamed something in the neighborhood of 200 characters, it seems,)propriate that Neil Simon has been known by morethan one name himself. was born MarvinNeil Simon, was soon known simply as Neil, and later wascalled Doc by colleagues and friends. Doc is a nickname of both respectand affection, bestowed on him for serving as uncredited "play doctor" for the ailingscripts of numerous otherplaywrights. 0 Second Avenue, Upper Broadway, lower Make ell& Maisigattan West, and the Upper East Side. No one has depicted life in Laughter on the 2:3d Floor is a rare and its environs with more clarity, exactness, exception to Simon's "life in the apartments and humor than Neil Simon. The settings of of New York" scene. It is set entirely "on the the overwhelming majority of 23rd floor of a building on 57th Street." Sirtce his plays are the East and West when his first full-length play,sides and uptown and Come Blow Your Horn, downtown with appeared on Broadway, Neil Pal Suptax as Simon has probably kept excursions into the other more stage actors employed boroughs. One of Neil Simon's hallmarks is his ability to than any other American Yes, he wanders afar now generate one new plot after another. In only a writer in history. Here is a few instances has he adapted the work of list of some of the stars whoand then. To Biloxi, Mississippi have appeared in Simon roles(Bawl Mites), to Russia (77e others. He turned to short stories by Anton on Broadway. All of them areGood Doctor), to Chekhov for the brief plays that make up The in addition to the names (Fools), to California Good Doctor, and, in a big stretch, he turned which appear in the play quiz to the Book of Job for the God's on page 1 1. (, I Ought to Be in Pictures, The Star Favorite. Brooke Adams Simon has adapted four works to create Spangled Girl), and to London Lucie Arnaz

Anne Jackson Is Robert Klein " v 11, Lorna Luft ..10=s222.-9p/ Mercedes Mc Cambridge Joan Rivers (the upcoming ). But in his books for musicals. 's film other playsremember. there have been27 The Nights qf Cabiria was the inspiration for of them produced in New York sofarit's Sweet Charity; 's novel Lillie Manhattan. Brighton Beach, Yonkers, .lte was t he jumping-off point for I he musical Sneden's Landing (just north of Manhattan ), of the same name (19(i2 and revised 1982): and the North Shore of Long Island. and and I.A.L. Diamond's Apartments are the principal places in filmscript for served as the which Simon's characters love, light, make source for Promises. Promises. up. connive, seek attention,kvetch, and say Inspiring himself', he turned to his funny things. Dotted on the map, hisplays screenplay for The Goodbye Gi/ for the are located in such places asRiverside Dtive. musical of the same name. 7 st li- 4 0 ILL * es I edr. * 6 - -- ''0s; 110'

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too, A.4,4tpk Azenberg's productions have earned 95 Azude-wet: &lammed 4 Tony Award nominations and 33 awards. Playwright Neil Simon and producer The professional marriage of Simon and have a professional Azenberg makes good sense. Azenberg points marriage made in heaven. They have been out that while Simon knows how to write happily tied to one another since 1972, when plays like few others, "the business side of Azenberg produced The Sunshine Boys. theater is a total mystery to him." For better or worsethere have been a few disappointments, such as Fools and God's Favorite Simon and Azenberg have kept themselves and Broadway audiences happy with hit after hit. Their latest collaboration is the production of Simon's newest script, London Suite, which will open in New York later this season. While the theater community and Simon fans are used t to a new play almost every year, they were not prepared forAzenberg's announcement that London Suite will be the first of Simon's plays produced off-Broadway. Pointing to the ever-growing costs of Broadway productions and the ever-lessening opportunity to earn a return on production investments, Azenberg grabbed headlines with his precedent-setting decision to present the show in a small theater, away from the theater district. In addition to mounting 18 of Simon's pplet e5a.&. plays, Azenberg is the respected producer of Kennedy Center audiences remember such .shows as 's Mark TIMM director ' contributions to Guys Tonight!, Ain't Misbehavin', Whose Life Is It and Dolls, Lend Me a Tenor, and Wenceslas Anyway?, Children of' a Lesser God, Master Square. His productions of Six Degrees of Harold...and the Boys, and . Separation and were seen at He also produced Stephen Sondheinfs the National Theatre. Sunday in the Park With George and Jerome Zaks, one of the most popular directors in Robbins' Broadway. the theater, has just opened his most recent Broadway showthe musical Smokey oe's Cafe. Broadly recognized for his work, Zaks has received four Tonys, four Desk Awards, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, an Obie, a Dramalogue Award, and an NAACP Image Award nomination. Resident Director of Lincoln ('enter Theatre from 1986-1990, Zaks is a founding member of New York's Ensemble Studio Theatre. Zaks appeared on Broadway in the original productions of and Tint.upes. Pangloss in the 1974 revival of Leonard 40144:dicta/a/aallm4estaa Bernstein's . Howard Hesseman, who plays Max Prince Stadlen received the Award read Sid Caesar in Laughter on the 2ard for his performance in Bertolt Brecht's The Floor, was heralded for his performance on Caucasian Chalk Circle at . television's "WKRP in Cincinnati," for which he received two Emmy Award nominations. He also starred in two other television Titizee Ta24e4ireeia series, "One Day at a Time" and The designers for Laughter on the "Head of the ('lass." 23rd Floor are three Additional television of the top- and film appearances flight behind- have gained him the-scenes increasing numbers of artists in show fans as well as critical business. plaudits. TONY On stage, Hesseman WALTON's has appeared in Alan kh scene designs AyckbournS Man of for Guys and the Moment and Arthur Dolls, The Will Miller's Broken Glass. Rogers , Grand Hotel. 4e/44:2eum..4 , Sophisticated Ladies, Sfraileit and Lend Me a Tenor have been seen at the Kennedy Center. His awards Lewis J. Stadlen makes a welcome return to shelf holds Tonys, Drama Desk Awards, an the Kennedy Center, where he has starred in Emmy, and Oscar nominations. He was Room Service, , and elected to the Theatre Hall of Fame in 1991. . In Laughter on the 23rd Floor he plays Milt, the role he created in the 's costume designs Broadway production. for Guys awl Dolls and Lend Me a Tenor Other Neil Simon plays in which he has have been seen at the Kennedy Center. His appeared are The Sunshine Boys and The costumes for the upcoming Crazy for You Odd Couple. He is well-remembered as Dr. are one of the show's delights. He has costumed , Patti La Belle. Mick Jagger. and Siegfried and Roy. 's lighting designs have been seen at the Kennedy Center in The Secret Garden, , Whose Life Is It Anyway?, , and Pacific Overt //MS. In addition to her designs for plays and musicals. she has provided lighting for the .Jose Limon Dance , the Dallas aml Miami opera comptmies, . Musser has received three .

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NOW, WHO WAS GL 2Z THAT /N...? Film adaptations of Neil Simon's plays have frequently staned actors different from those who originated the roles on Broadway So many actors have performed in tounng, stock, regional, and dinner theater productions of the plays that 0 it's hard to keep up For what Simon works were the actors listed below the original stars on Broadway? How many of the plays have been seen at the Kennedy Center?

tArt Carney and were the original stars of this comedy, which maybe Simon's most popular play.

, In what musical did these four later-famousdancers appear as members of the chorus: Donna McKechnie.. . and Graciele Daniele'?

3. won the Tony Award for BestSupporting Actress and Mercedes Reuhl won the award for Best Actress for their mother-daughterportrayals in this Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

4. , ,and appeared in this not-too- successful 1966 comedy about an ultra-conservative girl who is pursued by twoultra- liberal suitors.

Se Sid Caesar played seven roles in thismusical based on a Patrick Dennis novel of the same name.

aMartin Short and appeared in this 1993 musicaladaptation of Simon's 1977 film.

Z. , one of the starsof TV's "Seinfeld," was a featured actor in this comedy about Eugene Jerome's start in show business.

*IP o made his lastBroadway appearance opposite in this 196:3 comedy, set in a fifth-floor walk-up.

9. George c. Scott and MaureenStapleton appeared in this "suite" play.

100 'ITs ('olumbo. , had theurban blues in this 1971 hit.

Answow on Page 12. 1111111101511111M The Kennedy Center James D Wolfensohn, Chairman Lawrence J Waken President Derek E Gordon Associate Managing Director for Education

Funding of the Performance Plus program is provided by the U S Department of Education the Kennedy Center Corporate Fund Writer. John C Carr Production Photos. Carol Rosegg

Answers to Play Quiz, p. 11 1. The Odd Couple 2. Pim? ises, Ponrses Th© spotlight on 3 Lost in Yonkers 4. The Star Spangled Girl The ter discussion 5 Little Me will be held on 6. The Goodbye Girl 7 Broadway Bound Thursday,'Emil 13, 8. Barefoot in the Park the 9. Plaza Suite from 6- :45 pomo in 10. The Prisoner of Eisenhower Theater. Second Awn None of these shows has played the Kennedy Center. Give yourself one point for each correct answer. : +44 ,.. . Total. 10 points . 9 '11,.t;'eM 10-9: You're "Broadway 15=q Bound" 8-6: 0 K., "Come Blow Your Horn"

5-3: You.' e "13areloot In ;. the Park" .2-0: You're "Lost in Yonkers"

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