"Pee Your Pants" Funny
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
Forum Discription: Need help finding a show that's right for your theater? Ask here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2549
Printed Date: 5/17/24 at 6:30am
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Topic: "Pee Your Pants" Funny
Posted By: dmd196
Subject: "Pee Your Pants" Funny
Date Posted: 7/30/07 at 3:09pm
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Earlier this year I directed "Time Flies", a short play by David Ives. It was definitely "Pee Your Pants" funny. Here's the issue, I've been asked to direct a full length comedy and I need to suggest something to the Play Selection Committee that is the same caliber.
"Plaza Suite" by Neil Simon was suggested but I was born in the 70's and don't get many of his jokes.
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Replies:
Posted By: Debflo
Date Posted: 7/30/07 at 3:13pm
| My suggestion - "Run for Your Wife" by Ray Cooney. We just did this and followed it up with the sequal "Caught in the Net" both are definitely pee your pants funny! British farce at its best! |
Posted By: donzolidis
Date Posted: 7/30/07 at 3:40pm
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What size cast are you looking for?
The Nerd by Larry Shue is always a favorite. ------------- www.donzolidis.com |
Posted By: tdsands
Date Posted: 7/30/07 at 5:04pm
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"The Foursome" by Norm Foster is one of my favorites. 4 men late 30's "Social Security" by Andrew Bergman. 3m 3w
"Don't Dress for Dinner" by Marc Camoletti 3m 3w ------------- tdsands @ NRT |
Posted By: donzolidis
Date Posted: 7/30/07 at 5:21pm
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Side point:
All the suggestions so far were written by men. What are some laugh-out loud comedies written by women?
(Anything by Christopher Durang is also a good bet--Beyond Therapy is nice, depending on what your audience will stomach. For a short play, nothing beats Naomi in the Living Room.) ------------- www.donzolidis.com |
Posted By: dmd196
Date Posted: 7/30/07 at 5:42pm
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We have a small stage so a cast of 4-10 would be ideal. |
Posted By: B-M-D
Date Posted: 7/30/07 at 5:46pm
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The Smell of the Kill by Michele Lowe can be found at http://www.dramaticpublishing.com - www.dramaticpublishing.com It features 3 women and the three men are off stage voices. It is pee in your pants funny. I should know, I directed a production of it two years ago. One of the funniest GD shows we've ever done. You should read the excerpt that Dramatic Publishing provides to get feel of what you're in for. ------------- BD 
"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." |
Posted By: Mr. Lowell
Date Posted: 7/30/07 at 6:00pm
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The funniest show I've ever worked on is "Noises Off", but you need a huge set on a turntable for that one. However for a simple set, "Dearly Departed", by Bottrell & Jones, is a absolute hoot!
It's about a redneck disfunctional family, just like the "Mama's Family" sketches from The Carol Burnett Show. And one character reminds me of "Larry the Cable Guy". The characters are broad and bawdy, with plenty of opportunities for funny adlibs and covert "wink, winks" to the audience.
It calls for a small cast of about 12...with several minor roles being double cast. However, we had plenty of actors audition, so we cast the "Joy of Life Singers" and other small parts using all these bonus people.
The show can be staged very simply. The style is fast-paced and intimate, like a TV sitcom, so we did ours in the studio theatre on a small, minimalist set. Scene changes were done by rolling open a giant door flat, which we painted with the show logo in the style of the original "Family Feud" game show. Here are a few pics:
http://www.lowell.to/Studio/IMG_0315.JPG - http://www.lowell.to/Studio/IMG_0315.JPG
http://www.lowell.to/Studio/IMG_0502.JPG - http://www.lowell.to/Studio/IMG_0502.JPG
http://www.lowell.to/Studio/IMG_0499.JPG - http://www.lowell.to/Studio/IMG_0499.JPG
http://www.lowell.to/Studio/IMG_0397.JPG - http://www.lowell.to/Studio/IMG_0397.JPG
http://www.lowell.to/Studio/IMG_0428.JPG - http://www.lowell.to/Studio/IMG_0428.JPG
Good luck, and let's us know how it goes. -Dana
------------- Mr. Lowell, Lighting/Set Designer & Tech Director, for the Linda Sloan Theatre, in the Davison Center for the Arts, at Greensboro Day School |
Posted By: B-M-D
Date Posted: 7/30/07 at 8:07pm
OMG how could I have forgotten this one! We did it at my ct awhile back and I was in it! We're also doing Dearly Beloved this season by the same author. It's in rehearsal now. Saddly I'm not in that one because I'm directing the show right after it. You might also look at Christmas Belles, some of the same characters from Dearly Beloved. ------------- BD
"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 7/31/07 at 8:24am
| I have to agree with "The Nerd" by Larry Shue. I belive it's the only play that made me laugh heartily out loud just by reading it. |
Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 7/31/07 at 12:26pm
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OK, Pee your pants funny! You need to try the show Escanaba in Da Moonlight. It's written by the actor Jeff Daniels. Its the story of the Upper Penisular Michigan Soady Family and Reuben Soady's quest to "bag a buck". If he doesn't get it this year he will be the oldest soady in the history of the Soadys to never bag a buck.
You owe it to yourself to read this show. Daniels made it into a movie (not as good as the play, but readily available). ------------- Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse |
Posted By: bernster74
Date Posted: 7/31/07 at 1:37pm
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I would agree that THE NERD is hilarious and also Larry Shue's other play, THE FOREIGNER - both are small-ish casts. The Foreigner has a more complex set, but not too bad.
Also, if you can do a rated "r" comedy (I guess TIME FLIES has some language in it, doesn't it?), David Lidsay-Abaire's FUDDY MEERS, WONDER OF THE WORLD, and KIMBERLY AKIMBO will keep them laughing. All three have casts under 10 and have multiple scene changes, so you don't need a large unit set, just pieces.
I think Ken Ludwig's LEND ME A TENOR and MOON OVER BUFFALO are also very funny. Set just needs enough room for all those doors.
If you've got three dynamite men - THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE, ABRIDGED is downright hilarious. No set - just lots of props and costume pieces to be changed at warp speed.
If you want a little more upper-crust comedy, try on Noel Coward's BLITHE SPIRIT - I think it's hilarious when stuffy Brits start acting like lunatics. And the special effects can look good and be easy at the same time.
Break a leg!
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Posted By: Dough Boy
Date Posted: 8/01/07 at 10:27am
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In the same vein as Dearly Departed. Check out Messiah on the Frigidaire. http://www.messiahonthefrigidaire.com - http://www.messiahonthefrigidaire.com I also hear the Dearly Departed folks have a new one Dearly Beloved. |
Posted By: doublezero420
Date Posted: 8/01/07 at 11:33pm
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I directed Larry Shue's The Foreigner several years ago and people are still saying it is the funniest show we've ever done (32 seasons this year).
Another of my favorite is Noises Off but that does take a tremendous amount of stage space. We didn't have a turntable - just spun it by hand on nylon strips - and got applause for every set change during the run.
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Posted By: biggertigger
Date Posted: 8/02/07 at 6:35pm
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"No Sex Please, We're British" http://www.samuelfrench.com/store/product_info.php/products_id/1780 - http://www.samuelfrench.com/store/product_info.php/products_id/1780
and
"Love, Sex, and the I.R.S." (I can't seem to find this one listed)
This website gives the synopsis - http://www.madstage.com/oldshows/lovesexirs.html - http://www.madstage.com/oldshows/lovesexirs.html ------------- The two greatest days in a theater persons life, the day you start a new show and the day the damn thing closes. |
Posted By: ManMan
Date Posted: 8/06/07 at 9:16pm
| Rumors is funny as hell |
Posted By: bbpchick
Date Posted: 8/15/07 at 2:08pm
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I agree Love, Sex and the I.R.S. is pee your pants funny!
Samuel French has "Love, Sex"
This play is definately worth looking at. We did it spring of 2006 and people LOVED it! ------------- Kendra http://www.murphysblackbartplayer.com - www.murphysblackbartplayers.com You are NEVER too old to dress up! |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 8/15/07 at 6:53pm
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omigod
I had forgotten "Love, Sex, and the I.R.S." I was in that YEARS ago. I have tried to forget it. I played the "lead" - i.e., I had to memorize a bazillion lines so that the FUNNY character got laughs. LOL What a thankless role! LOL I remember I had to have love scenes and the other guy got to put on really really bad drag. LOL But, agreed, in that doesn't-have-a-dignified-bone-in-its-body way, it's very very very funny. |
Posted By: John Luzaich
Date Posted: 3/07/08 at 11:03am
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Cash On Delivery is very funny. And, any Ray Cooney or Michael Cooney. All of the Ray Cooney farces start out at the Old Log Theatre in Excelsior, Minnesota. Don Stoesz, the owner, has a great rapport with Cooney and gets to produce his shows before any other equity theatre. Then equity theatres get them, then we get our turn. But, most of them are great farces, very well written and developed characters and of course, goofy situations, mistaken identities and multiple doors. ------------- John cfct@cfu.net http://www.osterregent.org http://www.facebook.com/osterregent |
Posted By: dmd196
Date Posted: 3/07/08 at 11:25am
| Actually, we just did a Ray Cooney - "It Runs in the Family". It was the first full length play under my direction & it got great reviews. I loved the cross-dressing! |