Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor at the Raven Theatre
Raven East Stage (Chicago, IL)
Rated 3.2 by 53 members who went.
The Raven Theatre presents Laughter on the 23rd Floor. Based loosely on Simon's early career, when he worked for Sid Caesar's legendary Your Show of Shows alongside Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and Woody Allen, the play tells the story of Max Prince, star of a '50s variety show, and the outrageous antics of his team of writers.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
* Additional fees apply.
Currently at Raven East Stage:
- Full Price:
- $25.00 - $30.00
- Our Price:
- $12.50 - $15.00
Raven Theatre presents Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Justly revered as one of the finest plays in American history, the story of traveling salesman Willy loman and his desperate pursuit of the American Dream remains stunningly powerful and tragic today. Learn More
42 Member Reviews
Tell me when new reviews are added. [Remove]Tell me when new reviews are added.
Reviews are sorted first by profile photo (reviewers with profile photos are displayed first), second by the total number of kudos the review has received (the more kudos, the earlier the review appears), third by date written (newer reviews appear before older reviews).
More Details About Laughter on the 23rd Floor
More Information
Laughter on the 23rd Floor was inspired by Simon’s own early-career experience churning out jokes for Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows, where he worked alongside Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and Woody Allen. Laughter introduces a room full of oddball writers, many based upon actual personalities, including Simon himself. The Sid-Caesar-like character of Max Prince, star of a 1953 variety show, is a booze-guzzling, pill-popping comic genius who goes to any lengths to protect his team in the face of network cutbacks. This hilarious play chronicles the writing room’s outrageous antics and increasing stress levels under the pressures of rising McCarthyism and television executives resistant to sophisticated humor.
Raven Theatre
Raven Theatre's mission is to establish itself as an important voice in regional theater, focusing on American classics, as well as new and lesser-known projects that shed light on the "American Experience." The company's mission is realized by uniting an ensemble of Chicago-based theater artists from diverse disciplines who work together with the goal of maintaining a high standard of artistic excellence with programming easily accessible to patrons of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds, and thereby enriching our community's cultural life. Vigorously fresh revivals of masterpieces by great playwrights such as Miller, Williams, Saroyan and Mamet introduce new audiences to established classics, while original and lesser-known works give voice to the next generation of playwrights. Through Raven's Children's Theatre Program, the company seeks to present a wide range of theatrical education and entertainment options applicable across a broad academic spectrum.
