No Laughing Matter

I saw the L.A. version of the Amy-and-David-Sedaris-penned play, "The Book of Liz" over the weekend and was thoroughly disappointed. Neither I nor the rest of the audience laughed much throughout the entire production. In fact, I can't believe the comic genius behind "Naked," "Me Talk Pretty One Day" and "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" was responsible for my colossal waste of $25. Sure, it has a quirky premise: A profuse sweater in a Squeamish (re: Amish) community earns her keep producing cheeseballs (both traditional and smokey flavor), which the community sells to the outside world. Sounds promisingly hilarious, yes? Unfortunately, the play itself doesn't really deliver on the offbeat idea. I'm the type of person who shakes with laughter reading David Sedaris's books, and while I'm still holding onto hope for a movie version of this insane family's life, I humbly suggest that you skip "The Book of Liz." -- Amy