Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Classic Screwball Comedies?

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bernster74
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Topic: Classic Screwball Comedies?
Posted: 6/27/06 at 7:23pm

Hello all -

Looking for suggestions for the funniest classic screwball comedies - examples like You Can't Take it With You, The Front Page, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Hay Fever, etc. Any ideas would be most helpful.

Regards from beautiful Colorado.

Bernie

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jayzehr
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Posted: 6/28/06 at 8:07am

I don't know if this counts, but "The Nerd" can be hilarious.

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Dough Boy
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Posted: 6/28/06 at 9:10am

Noises Off?

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 6/28/06 at 12:21pm

classic? "Arsenic and Old Lace," "Harvey," "The Awful Truth," "Boy Meets Girl,"
"Light Up the Sky," and "George Washington Slept Here."

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Topper
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Posted: 6/28/06 at 1:50pm

"Once In a Lifetime"

"My Sister Eileen"

"Don't Drink the Water"

"Born Yesterday"

"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone

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castMe
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Posted: 6/28/06 at 5:24pm

Drop Dead

Amateurs

Greater Tuna

any Farndale Avenue play

Fools

Investigate. Imagine. Choose.

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Cogsworth
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Posted: 7/05/06 at 9:38pm

The Odd Couple, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Any Neil Simon

Have you done The Man Who Came to Dinner?

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POB14
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Posted: 7/06/06 at 9:44am

There's an excellent description of the genre (from a film perspective) here: http://www.moderntimes.com/screwball/define.html

When I saw Cogsworth's list, I thought "The Odd Couple, a screwball comedy? No way." But after reading that, it actually fits pretty well, except for the "rich vs poor" part, which of course in the 1930s was a HUGE issue.

To expand on a couple of suggestions above, you can't go wrong with anything that has George S. Kaufman's or Moss Hart's name on it. Stage Door fits too, although it's more serious, especially in the second half.

POB
Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard

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Shatcher
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Posted: 7/11/06 at 4:38pm

I must agree about Noises Off. As a theatre person I don't think there is a funnier play out there. Of course you have to do a lot of work to stage it. So funny! I mean like wet your pants funny!

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 7/12/06 at 9:31am

I agree - "Noises Off" is hysterical...though, I think that "Lend Me a Tenor,"
"Moon Over Buffalo" and "I Hate Hamlet" are just as funny.

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Play Suggestions
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Play Suggestions

Topic: Classic Screwball Comedies?( Topic Closed)
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Author	Message
bernster74 Star Joined: 10/20/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 51	Topic: Classic Screwball Comedies? Posted: 6/27/06 at 7:23pm
	Hello all - Looking for suggestions for the funniest classic screwball comedies - examples like You Can't Take it With You, The Front Page, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Hay Fever, etc. Any ideas would be most helpful. Regards from beautiful Colorado. Bernie

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jayzehr Celebrity Joined: 8/11/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 537	Posted: 6/28/06 at 8:07am
	I don't know if this counts, but "The Nerd" can be hilarious.
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Dough Boy Walk-On Joined: 3/20/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 6/28/06 at 9:10am
	Noises Off?
	IP Logged

tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 6/28/06 at 12:21pm
	classic? "Arsenic and Old Lace," "Harvey," "The Awful Truth," "Boy Meets Girl," "Light Up the Sky," and "George Washington Slept Here."
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Topper Celebrity Joined: 1/27/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 543	Posted: 6/28/06 at 1:50pm
	"Once In a Lifetime" "My Sister Eileen" "Don't Drink the Water" "Born Yesterday"
	"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone
	IP Logged

castMe Celebrity Joined: 11/02/05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 206	Posted: 6/28/06 at 5:24pm
	Drop Dead Amateurs Greater Tuna any Farndale Avenue play Fools
	Investigate. Imagine. Choose.
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Cogsworth Walk-On Joined: 7/05/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 7/05/06 at 9:38pm
	The Odd Couple, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Any Neil Simon Have you done The Man Who Came to Dinner?
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POB14 Celebrity Joined: 7/01/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 349	Posted: 7/06/06 at 9:44am
	There's an excellent description of the genre (from a film perspective) here: http://www.moderntimes.com/screwball/define.html When I saw Cogsworth's list, I thought "The Odd Couple, a screwball comedy? No way." But after reading that, it actually fits pretty well, except for the "rich vs poor" part, which of course in the 1930s was a HUGE issue. To expand on a couple of suggestions above, you can't go wrong with anything that has George S. Kaufman's or Moss Hart's name on it. Stage Door fits too, although it's more serious, especially in the second half.
	POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard
	IP Logged

Shatcher Celebrity Joined: 2/21/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 251	Posted: 7/11/06 at 4:38pm
	I must agree about Noises Off. As a theatre person I don't think there is a funnier play out there. Of course you have to do a lot of work to stage it. So funny! I mean like wet your pants funny!
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tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 7/12/06 at 9:31am
	I agree - "Noises Off" is hysterical...though, I think that "Lend Me a Tenor," "Moon Over Buffalo" and "I Hate Hamlet" are just as funny.
	IP Logged