The Idiot Box
by Michael Elyanow

Name: The Idiot Box
Brand: Michael Elyanow
SKU: 9780573652370
Rating: 3.25 (27 reviews)

The Idiot Box Book Cover — The Idiot Box Cover

Highlights

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120 minsPresent DayInterior SetContemporary Costumes/Street ClothesLGBTQ Comedy

What readers are saying

Readers have mixed feelings about the play. Many appreciate its witty and insightful elements, while some find the execution lacking and difficult to engage with. The structure draws comparisons to sitcoms, but not all are pleased with the tonal shifts.

Witty and insightfulInteresting conceptFeels like a sitcomExecution feels roughUnfinished reading experience

Synopsis

The Idiot Box is a comedy about what happens to six sitcom characters when Reality crashes into their lives.

Press Reviews

"What begins as a clever, amusing parody darkens into a savage indictment of the way television sells us a make-believe cocoon to insulate ourselves from reality."
— The L.A. Times

"Elyanow’s intelligently crafted script is rife with humor and irony."
— LA Weekly

"A supremely confident new play from Michael Elyanow."
— The Chicago Tribune

"Ambitious and serious… an onion-like, multi-layered work… with a few Pirandellovian surprises."
— The Windy City Times

"Makes us laugh, makes us think, and leaves us talking about the role of art and entertainment in our lives."
— ChicagoCritic.com

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Chloe The a spoiled rich girl. She’s a curtain designer.	—	—	The a spoiled rich girl. She’s a curtain designer.
Billy The sex-crazed dummy. He’s a model.	—	—	The sex-crazed dummy. He’s a model.
Fiona The new-age hippie. She’s an acupuncturist.	—	—	The new-age hippie. She’s an acupuncturist.
Connor The cynical husband. He’s an ad agency exec.	male	—	The cynical husband. He’s an ad agency exec.
Stephanie The controlling wife. She’s a romance novelist.	female	—	The controlling wife. She’s a romance novelist.
Harvey He’s a doctor in the naval reserves.	—	—	He’s a doctor in the naval reserves.
Raymond He’s a drag queen/cabaret singer.	female	—	He’s a drag queen/cabaret singer.
Veronica She’s an Australian dog shusherer.	—	—	She’s an Australian dog shusherer.
Omar He’s a non-Caucasian PhD student.	—	—	He’s a non-Caucasian PhD student.
Mark The neurotic New Yorker. He’s a paramedic.	—	—	The neurotic New Yorker. He’s a paramedic.