Like Your Show of Shows, Simon’s fictitious Max Prince Show plays to the highest ratings in the early 1950’s. At this time televisions were popping up in households all over the nation; the television medium was changing radically; America found itself in another war in far-off Korea; new television shows were exploding into the public view; new genres were being explored for the first time on television; children’s shows, sitcoms, cowboys and indians, cops and robbers and soap operas began to replace variety shows appealing to the new middle-American television viewers and television advertising dominated the American marketing place. In politics Senator Joseph McCarthy duked it out with politicians, writers and entertainers alike, creating an anti-communist frenzy with slanderous accusations and his blacklist.

Against this backdrop of Americana, Neil Simon introduces the dream team of comedy writers all extremely devoted to their boss, Max, a comic genius, tyrant and paranoic with a heart of gold. But his penchant for drinking and popping too many pills is growing under the rising pressure of McCarthyism, network executives, and sponsors who want him to cut costs and time on his show to make way for Leave It To Beaver and Father Knows Best. Why, one might ask did Simon wait so long to write this play? My thought is that Simon was inspired by the parallels between the 50’s and the political climate today. It is amazing that in such a short time history can repeat itself! --Mary Hausch 

TRABER BURNS (Val)

Traber has appeared at the Hippodrome as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, Jody in Lonely Planet, Bob Cratchit in the 1995 A Christmas Carol, Pridamant in The Illusion, Harold in Orphans and Lloyd Dallas in Noises Off. He has also worked for the New York Shakespeare Festival, Oregon Shakespeare, Arena Stage, Center Stage, Olney Theatre, Clarence Brown Theatre, Tennessee Rep, Dallas Shakespeare, and in London with Delaware Theatre’s The Trip to Bountiful. Television credits include: Homicide, SeaQuest, Miami Vice, B.L. Stryker, and America’s Most Wanted. He is a graduate of American Conservatory Theatre’s acting program in San Franscico.

DAVID HOPKINS (Kenny)

Laughter on the 23rd Floor is David’s first appearance on the Hippodrome stage. David received his BFA in Acting from Auburn University. He is currently pursuing his Masters in Theatre at the University of Florida. Some of David’s credits include: A View from the Bridge, Carousel, Purlie, God’s Favorite, Romeo and Juliet, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Ah! Wilderness, Godspell, Lysistrata, Annie Get Your Gun, and Marat Sade. David is happy to be part of the Hippodrome and would like to dedicate his performance to his lovin g family and Milla.

DAN JESSE (Milt)

Dan’s association with the Hippodrome includes three years on the staff, long ago. He earned his MFA from UF and remains the only person to win UF’s Best Performance award three times. He appeared earlier this season at the Hippodrome in The Sisters Rosensweig and in To Kill A Mockingbird. His leading roles include performances in: Rumors, A Man for All Seasons, The Caretaker, Waiting for Godot, Sly Fox, The Elephant Man, I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking it on the Road, They Shoot Horses Don’t They? and Tiger Tail. Some favorite character parts have occurred in: The Passion of Dracula, Three Penny Opera, What the Butler Saw, Little Murders, Dark of the Moon, As You Like It, Oh What a Lovely War, Bedroom Farce, Rum and Coke, Dancing at Lughnasa, Beau Jest and M. Butterfly. Dan’s film credits include: Angel of H.E.A.T., Lily Lie Gently and Winter Death.

GREGORY JONES (Max Prince)

Gregg’s association with the Hippodrome dates to 1978 when he appeared as half or couple number 32 in They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Favorite roles since the “sheet metal age” include Lawyer Craven in Sly Fox, Fidel Castro in Rum and Coke and in Talk Radio. Mr. Jones has also appeared in the Hippodrome productions of Whose Life is it Anyway, I’m Not Rappaport, Other People’s Money and the ever popular Saint and the Football Players with sports legend Lee Breuer. Gregg’s film and television credits include Waterways, A Flash of Green and Miami Vice. He is currently a tenured professor of Theatre Arts at Sante Fe Community College where he has been employed for eight years. Mr. Jones would like to dedicate this performance to the crazy genius and recovery of Sid Caeser and to the generous love and support of his family.

TRACY SALTER (Helen)

Laughter on the 23rd Floor marks Tracy’s second appearance on the Michael Doyle Mainstage, after portraying Mayella Ewell in the Hippodrome’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird. She recently played The Garbage Queen in the Hippodrome’s touring Theatre for Young Audiences production of 4 R Planet, a play about recycling, and is currently completing her MFA at the University of Florida. Favorite roles include: Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shen Teh/Shui Ta in The Good Person of Szechuan, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Martha Livingstone in Agnes of God and Anna in The Baltimore Waltz.

PATRICK LENNON (Brian)

Pat appeared in in this season's To Kill A Mockingbird. Past Hippodrome shows include Beau Jest, A Christmas Carol and Tangled Tales, Earthly Possessions, Prelude To A Kiss and Accomplice. He appeared in the Florida Players productions of Lone Star, Terra Nova, and The Lover. He has stage managed Hippodrome productions of All in the Timing, Lonely Planet, The Sisters Rosensweig, Marvin’s Room and A Christmas Carol, and co-directed the 1993 version the latter. Pat also serves as the Hippodrome’s Development Coordinator.

NELL PAGE SEXTON (Carol)

Nell appeared as Jean Louise Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird, in several roles in All in the Timing, as Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, and as Willie Mae Nettles in last season’s The Sugar Bean Sisters. She first appeared at the Hippodrome as Charlotte Corday in Marat/Sade. Since that time, her favorite Hipp roles include Bessie in Marvin’s Room, Artie in Eleemosynary, Annelle in Steel Magnolias, La Marquise de Merteuil in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Jan in Bedroom Farce, Clair in I’m Not Rappaport, Cassie in Rumors, Linda in Rum and Coke, Ruth in So Long on Lonely Street, Mary in Vanities, Janet in Accomplice and Mrs. Emory in Earthly Possessions. She thanks Mark, Ann, Molly and William for their support.

HEATH DUNNBAR WARD (Lucas)

Beginning on stage at the Hippodrome as Balthazar in Romeo and Juliet, Laughter on the 23rd Floor marks Heath’s seventh appearance on the Michael Doyle Mainstage. Other shows include: Tom in The Sisters Rosensweig, Cyrano de Bergerac, A Christmas Carol, Hank in Marvin’s Room and Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird. Heath is enrolled at the University of Florida where he appeared as Claude in Hair, Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, and the Doctor in Baby. Other favorite roles include: Mephisto in Faust and Joe in Zora Neal Hurston’s Spunk!

PETER ZACHARI (Ira)

Peter appeared in multiple roles in this season’ All in the Timing and A Christmas Carol, as well as appearing as Matamore in last season’s The Illusion. He recently portrayed Justin in the Hippodrome’s production of 4 R Planet, a children’s play about recycling which toured the Alachua County schools this spring. He played the role of The Big Man in To Kill a Mockingbird and also served as the Assistant Stage Manager, as well as the voice of Link Deas. Originally from Peabody , Massachusetts, Peter holds a MFA in Acting from the University of Florida. Favorite roles include: Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof and Herr Schultz in Cabaret, both produced at the Center for the Performing Arts, Gainesville. Other acting credits include: the King in Big River, John/Judas in Godspell, David in Company, Carlton in Stageblood, the Sheriff in The Rainmaker, the Herald in Marat/Sade, and Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors.

A.G. THORNBERRY (Stage Manager)

Tony was last seen in Tangled Tales. He toured in the Hippodrome children’s show EcoHeroes from September to December. This past January and February he was the stage manager for Alice in Wonderland, which toured the Florida panhandle. Tony is originally from Kentucky where he received his BA and MA in Theatre. He is also a graduate from UF with an MFA in Acting. He also is a graduate gemologist from Santa Monica’s G.I.A.. He wants to thank a very understanding R.C. and Talula for the long hours.

MARY HAUSCH (Director, Hippodrome Producing Director)

A Hippodrome founder, Mary has directed more than 70 and acted in more than 50 productions in her 22 years with the theatre. Directorial accomplishments include Lonely Planet, Broken Glass, Earthly Possessions, Marvin’s Room, Prelude to a Kiss, M. Butterfly, Lettice and Lovage, Other People’s Money, Steel Magnolias, Driving Miss Daisy, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Little Shop of Horrors, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf and True West. She also directed a PBS teleplay based on David Mamet’s The Duck Variations. She is a co-founder of H.I.T.T. (Hippodrome Improvisational Teen Theatre) for which she and her colleagues won the Margaret Sanger Award. Mary has served with the National Endowment for the Arts as a panelist/reviewer, with the Florida Professional Theatre Association as treasurer and with the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs as a panelist/reviewer. She was the recipient of the Gainesville Sun’s Star Business Award in 1991 and the Sun’s Arts Person of the Year Award in 1993.

JAMES MORGAN (Scenic Designer)

is the Associate Artistic Director of Manhattan’s York Theatre Company (85 shows, 21 years). Broadway and national company design credits include: Sweeney Todd (Revival, Drama Desk Award nomination); the musical Anna Karenina (American Theatre Wing Design nomination); The Miser starring Phillip Bosco and Carole Shelley; The Sunshine Boys starring Mickey Rooney and Donald O’Connor and On the Twentieth Century with Imogene Coca and Judy Kaye. Off-Broadway productions include: Pacific Overtures, Broadway Jukebox, The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me (also San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston). Among regional credits: Manhattan Theatre Club, McCarter Theatre, Goodspeed Opera House, Chicago Lyric Opera, Asolo Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Coconut Grove and Cincinnati Playhouse. Recent/current projects: Bruce Beresford’s production of Sweeney Todd for Portland Opera, Jones and Schmidt’s new musical Mirette (Goodspeed), and Lady Day in Chicago starring Eartha Kitt. A Florida native, UF graduate and Manhattan resident, this is his 10th Hippodrome production.