The Book of LizActing Edition by Amy Sedaris

The Book of LizActing Edition Reviews

• 
  Kristin Koski

  I enjoyed riding this rollercoaster of laughs and groans. THE BOOK OF LIZ will be a ridiculously fun play to direct, and I will be looking for the opportunity to direct it with some friends.
• 
  Aaron

  This fun and quirky satirical play was produced by the brother and daughter team that is well-known for humor. The main character, Sister Elizabeth Donderstock, is Sqeamish, which is a religious order. The order (both nuns and priests) lives in the community of Clusterhaven, which survives primarily on the successful sales of its cheese balls. Liz is the originator of the recipe, and she is feeling less than respected when she is constantly looked over for various assignments by the head of the order. As a result, she decides to leave.
  
  Once on her own, she befriends a nice Ukrainian couple, who ironically have a Cockney accent. They are more than happy to help her out in getting settled in. Before long she finds herself with a successful job waiting tables at a nearby family restaurant called Plymouth Crock. While the restaurant works well, the staff contingent seems to be totally made up of recovering alcoholics. When the manager is offered a promotion to regional manager, he turns to Liz as a replacement because of how well she does her job. The problem is that she is a heavy sweater, which is disconcerting for many customers. She is going to have to have surgery to correct things if Liz is going to take the job.
  
  Clusterhaven is now struggling to make ends meet. While Liz kindly left them the recipe so they could continue with their cheese ball business, the recipe doesn't seem to be quite working. Try as they might, the nuns and priests can't seem to get the taste right. The failure is endangering the survival of the community since they can no longer bring in the needed income.
  
  You will have to read the short play to find out how everything is sorted out in the end. This was a quick read that I picked up because I have been enjoying David Sedaris' collections of essays so much. I really enjoyed it a lot, though there really is only a loose sense of reality in what is going on. If you can live with that, you will find yourself laughing at the high-jinx.
• 
  Vickie Kozhushchenko

  Not only is this a great script to read (and authentic David Sedaris, with an equal measure of Amy mixed in, which just makes it all the more wacky), but the play was one of the best things I've seen on stage in 10 years. Of course, I also saw it in LA, where every actor who was in it was concurrently airing in either a Pledge, Fruit of the Loom or Metamucil commercial, while working 2 jobs in various restaurants and sending their head shots to Spielberg, Katzenberg and Weinstein twice a day.
  
  If nothing else, the ability of the writers (David & Amy) to take an oft misunderstood faith and obscure its true ideals even more, create intrigue around the construction of a highly prized hors d'ouevres originating from Wisconsin, and wrap it all up in a tidy love story, is testament to what unique intellectuals they both are. Either that, or they're both just completely insane.
• 
  Cynthia

  I performed in a production of The Book of Liz at the
  Butler Little Theatre.
  
  The audiences were not what you might expect for a strange and satirical play like this -- they were small town folks in a generally conservative area. A few people took offense, writing to the local paper, but most people got at least a few laughs, and the run was a successful.
  
  As performers, we had some challenges with accents, and with creating a viable Mr. Peanut costume.
  
  But on the whole I'd recommend this as an unusual and sweetly quirky play to produce and perform in.
• 
  Sheila

  I saw this play at Park University a few years ago, only because I love David Sedaris and have listened to most of his audio books. More recently have I also grown to love Amy Sedaris and truly appreciate her humor. So about the play, tickets were only $5, but it was the BEST $5 I've ever spent on any play performance!! I laughed the entire 2 hours. So this "play book" is, of course, not as good as seeing the performance live, but it IS incredibly funny and a very quick read. I highly recommend this as a truly hilarious read, especially if you need some zest in your life :0)
• 
  A. T. Adlen

  I am really liking the satirical nature of this play-it goes above and beyond what I expected which is saying something considering I am an avid reader of the Sedaris family. I am actually keeping this play in mind to perform with some great actors I know.
  
  
  is is just me or do some of the female characters come across as Monty-Python-esque men/women? I really feel like Mrs Butterworth would be even more hilarious if she were played by a man. Thoughts?
• 
  Daniel

  I was expecting to be more enthusiastic about this play; David Sedaris is a brilliant writer, and Amy is both a talented writer and performer. When I envision Amy Sedaris in the title role, I can see how this would be entertaining on stage, but it doesn't read as well. This isn't abnormal; dramatic literature only truly comes alive on stage.
• 
  Jessica

  I wasn't sure how I would feel about it from reading the description on the back, but don't the idea of cheese balls fool you, it's actually very good. I love the quirky Elizabeth and her journey. I read it looking for a monologue and ultimately went with something else, but I certainly enjoyed the play, even if I can't pull off a nun.
• 
  Kaysy Ostrom

  Some plays just don't translate on the page. They HAVE to be seen live. I think that's the case with this play. I think both Amy and David Sedaris are hilarious but much of the comedy in this script needs to be spoken to have its full effect. I didn't not like it, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
• 
  Karen

  A short play by two of the funniest people. Whenever I read something by one of the Sedaris' I can't help but wonder what it would be like to be a part of that family. Or better yet...what it's like to be their parents.
• 
  Kip

  Hilarious. I wish the other plays they wrote together (Little Frieda Mysteries, etc) were available. I saw several of them as originals at La Mama, and they are hands down the most fun nights I've ever spent in a theater.
• 
  Matt

  The main enjoyment of the play is the authors' subtle poking fun at the reader and plays in general. The external is underwhelming and the internal is just as dramatic.
  Also, any thoughts of Amy Sedaris keep me interested. :)
• 
  Cheryl

  The absurdity of cheese balls, religion, and a Pilgrim themed family restaurant makes me want to see this drama live! There's something about the sound effects that are still cracking me up (cars honking, car tires on gravel, and phone ringing). So simple and yet too much.
• 
  Stephanie

  One of my birthday presents from last year and I finally read it. This is a play by "The Talent Family" Amy Sedaris and David Sedaris. Very funny. I could picture Amy as Sister Liz (and Brother Hesikiah).
• 
  Sherry (sethurner)

  Too funny. Potentially offensive to members of conservative religious groups, people who sweat, homophobic folks, and heaven knows who else, this little play had me chuckling out loud and reading lines to my long-suffering husband. It also made me hungry for cheese balls.
• 
  Audrey Regan

  Reading a play sometimes is a challenge, but the thought of these famous siblings and other comedians playing parts makes it better. It was very short and not one of my favorite Sedaris 'books', so that is why I only gave it 3 stars. 3 1/2 if they would let me.
• 
  Megan

  Sweet, funny, quirky valentine to the oddballs of the world, and our need to be valued by others. Not sure that all audiences would respond to the Sedaris's particular sense of humor (or 12 step culture), but I loved it.
• 
  Fawndolyn Valentine

  Rife with that Sedaris humor I've come to know and love! I read the lines while imagining all the usuals who go along with Amy (pretty much the whole cast of Strangers with Candy). I still want to try my hand at a cheeseball.
• 
  allie

  hilarious and touching. what i wouldn't give to share their genes.
• 
  Louise Brown

  Grotesque, hilarious, extreme but somehow touching. Stranger than Strangers with a weirdly sensitive underbelly. Truly an unholy child formed by the union of the most hilarious brother and sister.
• 
  Jill

  It's so sad, because I love David and Amy Sedaris. I both read and went to see this play--terrrrrrrible.
• 
  Jac

  I think I'd need to see it.
• 
  Phoebe

  Didn't actually read it, but saw the play and it was AMAZING. I'm sure it would make a fantastic read as well.
• 
  Adam

  I read this little play on the subway - its weird and funny, what you would expect from the Sedarises. But nothing special, just sort of funny.
• 
  Jamie

  From the mind of Amy and David Sedaris, so it has to be funny
• 
  Gina

  This is a play written by Sedaris siblings Amy and David and it's nowhere near as good as it should be.