Plot
Matriarch Enid Pollack, who once aspired to be a dancer in '' George White's Scandals'', spends her days hounding neighbors with telephone business schemes in order to support the family. Her philandering husband Max is a gambler, furtively planning his escape from his marriage. Stuttering teenaged son Paul is a frail, bright, shy boy who tries to perfect magic tricks — including a floating light bulb illusion — in his bedroom. When talent agent Jerry Wexler arrives at the house, seemingly to audition Paul, Enid seizes the opportunity for Paul to shine in the spotlight that eluded her, only to have her hopes dashed when she realizes Wexler is more interested in wooing her than signing her son as a client.Production
The play premiered on Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont Theater in Lincoln Center on April 27, 1981 and ran for 62 performances and 16 previews. Directed by Ulu Grosbard, the cast included Beatrice Arthur as Enid,Cast
* Beatrice Arthur as Enid *Critical reception
In his review in '' The New York Times'', Frank Rich called the play a "conventional, modest and at times pedestrian family drama" and "nothing to be embarrassed about" although "it could easily be mistaken for a journeyman effort by a much younger and less experienced writer." He added, "There are a few laughs, a few well-wrought characters, and, in Act II, a beautifully written scene that leads to a moving final curtain. But most of the time ''Light Bulb'' is superficial and only mildly involving. As a serious playwright, Mr. Allen is still learning his craft and finding his voice. Like so many young American plays, this one is overly beholden to the early Tennessee Williams."Awards
Tony Awards
The Tony Award is presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. Considered the highest honor in US theatre.References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Floating Light Bulb, The 1981 plays Broadway plays Autobiographical plays Brooklyn in fiction Plays by Woody Allen Plays set in New York City Plays set in the 1940s