The Butter and Egg Man.
Kaufman At His Best.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).Published 3 minutes ago • 3 min read
"The Butter and Egg Man" was written in the 1920's and is currently performing at The Wohl Center on the upper west side. Written by the great George S. Kaufman, Out of the Box Theatre Company has produced the original 1925 work in two acts and 2 scenes in each act.
The play's synopsis is about a young, naive man who has just come into money and wants to become a theater producer.Joe Lehman (Joe Symon) who owns Lehmac Productions, Inc, is only too happy to take his money for his latest show. As on the job training, Peter Jones (Andrew Kaplan) begins to see the ways of his errors. In this production, Kaplan needed a script in the second act, but not the first.
In this fast-paced raucous show, the direction is magnificent; David Edwards captures the essence of the by-gone era of writers like Kaufman, Hart and the many others who would floor audiences with farcical comedy.
The stage is small, however, scenic designer Harlan D. Penn makes it useful enough for Edwards to set the characters brilliantly throughout the two hour show. Even though at times the actors are difficult to hear, we still benefit from the "business", the silly reactions to what is being put forth on the stage.
Out of the Box usually puts on great shows, well thought out and always performed to entertain. As an off-off Broadway company, they deliver what I like to refer to as hidden gems. As many off-off theaters now offer more political shows, this company gives a lot of the classics, ones that have been sorely missed in New York City.
Katherine Roberson captures the era perfectly with her deft costuming. Stephen Cornelius supports the show well with his lighting. The lights never over power the show, rather it supports it nicely.
Unfortunately, today was the last day to see this production. As the schedule at Wohl fills up, its run was limited. This show could easily move to a bigger house as the entire cast of 11 were all very good (even with Kaplan reading his second act), the show was pithy, funny and the story was rock solid!
......................................................................................................................
As a drama critic, I try to see as many off and off-off Broadway shows as possible. Since Covid and even right before Covid, off-off Broadway became to political and it wasn't any fun going to see a lot of shows that dealt with the various messages that the writers were trying to put forth. In the last year though, much of off-off Broadway are now producing fun, watchable plays. Both the writing and acting is becoming tighter, more professional.
Where off Broadway has turned the corner with less preachy shows, audiences are beginning to pack in many of the staple houses again. It is encouraging that producers, theater companies are realizing that people want to be entertained rather than feeling that they are being talked at. Writing appears to be stronger at the many stage companies and it is helping the vast box offices throughout the entire theater community.
In producing a classic like "The Butter and Egg Man", older audience members are given the option to view older, more classic theater. Like the York Theater Company which puts on classic musicals, many of the older viewers are able to enjoy shows from years past. With many of the great writers from years past not produced any longer, companies like J2 are bringing them back to life. In talking with a vast amount of theater goers, they are happy that the classics are being shown again to a larger degree.
About the Creator
Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).
I have been writing on theater since 1982. A graduate from Manhattan College B.S. A member of Alpha Sigma Lambda, which recognizes excellence in both English and Science. I have produced 14 shows on and off Broadway. I've seen over700 shows
Enjoyed the story?
Support the Creator.
Subscribe for free to receive all their stories in your feed. You could also pledge your support or give them a one-off tip, letting them know you appreciate their work.
Subscribe For Free
Reader insights
Insights submitted by your readers will appear here.
Comments
Allow comments on this story
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS…(OPTIONAL)
Comment
Keep reading
More stories from Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob). and writers in Geeks and other communities.
Wang Chung, The Motels and Naked Eyes.
-- Last night at the Morristown Performing Arts Center, we were treated to three great 80's New Wave bands: Naked Eyes, The Motels and Wang Chung. Each band (with the exception of Wang Chung) played for about 45 minutes. It would mostly be Wang Chungs night, however. The English band who in my opinion had one of the best albums ever with "Points on A Curve" opened with "Wait". This lyric and melodic song has been playing on the airwaves from the early 80's and it is one of Wang Chungs signature songs.
ByRobert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).9 days ago in Geeks
Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin
Published on the 18th of May, 1953, ‘Go Tell it on the Mountain’ became the book that James Baldwin is probably most famous for. Including the very real impacts of violence upon the African American community during a time of turbulence for Civil Rights, James Baldwin became an absolute superstar not just of his race, but of the oppressed in every situation, in every country, all over the world. From Palestine to the Civil Rights Movement, from the LGBTQA+ to Muslim Migrants from war-torn countries, James Baldwin is the voice of the oppressed not just through the way he presents the division, but the way he presents a reality that the oppressors could not possibly be aware of. A reality in which every day is a fight to survive. What makes this even more real is that this is a semi-autobiographical novel. In my personal opinion, James Baldwin was the most articulate man in history.
ByAnnie Kapur30 days ago in Geeks
Brief and not-so-brief opinions: Part 8
57 Seconds, Bridgerton (Netflix), and The Fall Guy. … The 'brief and not-so-brief opinions' articles are my outlet to rant about or appreciate movies, shows and their elements. I will express my thoughts while watching and after or only after watching, it depends. I will not be rating. These are not spoiler-free for the most part and no research will be made for or about them(unless curious or accidental which would be mentioned). They are in no particular order of recent watching as well. However, the opinions are in order of viewing the movie or show (for the most part). This wouldn't be as structured or detailed as well and there would be no set number of picks per article, it would be just as things go. It is intended to be casual. So think, conversations about movie plots, characters, topics-so something like that.
By'Vive Akugha4 days ago in Geeks
scratches in my mind - esteem
adore me, of course but just respect me more, please plant my words, as seeds * Thanks for reading! Author's Notes: Another in my "scratches in my mind" series. The links to the others can be found below.
ByPaul Stewart5 days ago in Poets
Written by Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).
1
Find us on social media
Miscellaneous links
© 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
