Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Synopsis
Nominee of the 1987 Tony Award® for Best Play, this is the final installment of the playwright's acclaimed biographical trilogy (preceded by BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS and BILOXI BLUES). Having returned from World War II, Eugene Jerome and his brother Stanley pair up to break into the world of professional comedy writing. Inspiration strikes when they aim their sights on their dysfunctional family — and the network broadcasts it nationwide!
Library Journal
This third and final installment in Simon's semiautobiographical trilogy of plays—following Brighton Beach Memoirs (1983) and Biloxi Blues (1985), recordings of which are also available from L.A. Theatre Works—has brothers Eugene and Stanley struggling amid a family crisis to write a radio comedy skit in preparation for a major audition. A 1987 Tony Award nominee, it is a powerful and compelling story mediated by deft comedic positioning perfectly executed by the eight-person cast, particularly by Scott Wolfe (as Eugene) and Alan Mandell (as Grandfather Ben), who provide most of the laughs. The sound effects further make this a rich listening experience. For those fond of old-time radio drama and comedy.—Lance Eaton, Peabody, MA