by Jessi Hafer

Aithon’s selection of a wonderful script and good performances ensure laughter in the Fresno Memorial Auditorium in their production of Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor. The play chronicles a smart and funny 1950s television show coping with of McCarthyism and crass commercialism.

The show’s momentum is primarily carried by particularly funny performances from three of the actors: Mark Halverson (Milt), Thomas Vance (or Nance? It’s spelled two different ways in the program. He plays Val), and Brian Rhea (? Whoever played Ira – the character nor the actor are listed in the list of players. Ira was an especially memorable character, and Brain Rhea has a bio listed in spite of not being in the cast list, so I’m hoping I’ve guessed right on this one). Each of these three has a lot of stage time, and all three manage to play their parts as genuine characters, bringing specific, continuous, and memorable elements to their characters’ personalities, not simply relying on the script. Milt, “a writer with a flair for dressing,” is performed with terrific comic timing and tone accented by rigid expressions and postures. Val, “an immigrant from Russia who is the Senior member of the writer’s staff,” not to mention someone with hysterical difficulties pronouncing *f-word*, couples strong timing with a mild physical comedy – his lines come not just from his words, but from his shoulders and from his rolling onto the floor. Ira, a hypochondriac writer who is always late, is played with captivatingly funny facial expressions and hand gestures.

These core performances are interwoven by strong deliveries from all of the other cast members, each with his or her especially funny moments. Filling out the cast are Phillip Bryan (Lucas), the somewhat apprehensive rookie writer and narrator; Howard Roberson (Brian), the chain-smoking Irishman who claims he’s destined for Hollywood; Jonathan Wheeler (Kenny), a successful young writer and frequent confidant of their boss; Luke Davis (Max Prince), the television show’s producer and backbone with a flair for angered explosions; Renee Newlove (Carol), a female writer who’s “one of the guys,” and Suzanne Garcia, Max’s happy-go-lucky and earnest secretary.

The set and costuming appropriately set the tone and time. The energy between the actors grew stronger as the play progressed; though there were great parts in the first act, the production’s momentum as well as actor chemistry and timing really came together in the second half of the opening night performance. All in all, the play was a lot of fun to watch! As of this posting, there are only two more opportunities to catch Aithon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor: June 17, 2007 at both 2pm and 7:30pm in the Fresno Memorial Auditorium. Look for more from Aithon this fall with Sam Shepard’s True West, coming this September, and The Last Five Years, coming this November.