Getting the Giggles Back on the 23rd Floor

Ba-da-boom!

That’s the sound that comes after a tired joke. The Borscht Belt drum roll. The original laugh track, but with a smirk.

It’s funny that the characters in Neil Simon’s “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” say that so often. As writers for a ‘50s TV comedy show, they know they’re not always as clever as they could be. But they keep trying. Take my one-liner, please!

Simon’s play is a lot like that. There’s plenty of ho-hum stuff scattered through it, but the good gags come around just often enough to save the day. And the production at Orange Coast College, with its lively pace and effective acting, makes for a mostly amusing evening.

“Laughter” is primarily a nostalgic stroll through Simon’s earliest days on the trail of gags. It recalls his own stint as the new whiz kid on the Sid Caesar landmark ‘50s program “Your Show of Shows.” The show was often a gas and, apparently, so was working for it.

Instead of Sid, we get Max (played by Peter Niles), who’s brilliant and brave, but erratic and a little dangerous (for one thing, Max punches holes in walls when he’s peeved). Instead of Neil, we get Lucas (Sean Henry), who’s in awe of Max and just trying his best to keep pace with this golden stable of fellow writers. They banter, they fret about losing their jobs, they tease and act cynical. Mainly, they toss out jokes and more jokes.

That leads to sort of an unspoken competition among the gagsters over just who’s the funniest. Simon uses this familiar gambit of dueling wisecracks to let us know who we’re dealing with and, although the comedy starts slowly, everything picks up once the writers’ personalities become clearer and the jokes get sharper.

That happens after Max makes his appearance deep into the first act. Niles’ performance reveals that Max is one of those artistic types who pays for his creativity with self-absorption and dismantling neuroses.

Max, it turns out, is dependent on tranquilizers and booze. That may scare the writers who worship him, but it doesn’t dim his comic talents. Nor his righteous indignation.

A subplot revolves around Max’s inability to get a skit on the air spoofing Joseph McCarthy’s red-baiting. Max all but freaks over the network’s censorship and later plans that threaten to prune a writer from his staff. This causes a few serious moments, but “Laughter” rarely strays far from its goal of generating a few giggles.

Niles’ portrayal isn’t the only one that works. Under John Ferzacca’s focused direction, the cast moves easily through the comedy. Henry has no trouble giving the impression of callow insecurity mixed with youthful confidence. Lucas is keeping up with the big boys, but isn’t exactly sure how.

*

Jeff Marx gets some laughs as Ira, perhaps the most talented writer and certainly the most crazed. As the lippy, ever-worrying Milt, Alex LaVerde also provides an amusing presence.

They all write, scheme and commiserate on David Scaglione’s set of the group’s war room. Obviously the product of a limited budget, it doesn’t have the panache you’d expect for the office of the top creative team in the business. Mark Goodrich’s one-note lighting is serviceable but doesn’t add much to the production either.

* “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” Orange Coast College’s Drama Lab Theatre, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday. Ends Sunday. $6-$10. (714) 432-5880. Running time: 2 hours, 5 minutes.

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“Laughter on the 23rd Floor,”

Peter Niles: Max

Sean Henry: Lucas

Mark Palkoner: Brian

David Scaglione: Val

Jenn Ortiz: Carol

Alex LaVerde: Milt

Timothy C. Todd: Kenny

Jeff Marx: Ira

Tiffany McClintock: Helen

An Orange Coast College production of Neil Simon’s comedy, directed by John Ferzacca. Set: David Scaglione. Lighting: Mark Goodrich. Costumes: Brenda Wyatt. Stage manager: Kimberly M. Fisher.