Description
Bob Canning
19 minutes
2 men, 3 women
A fastidious businessman’s polite request to stop receiving tiny hotel soaps unleashes a full-blown soap opera — literally. What begins as a mundane complaint quickly spirals into a hilariously absurd exchange of notes with a parade of quirky hotel staff, each more bewildered than the last. As the soaps, and the stakes, pile higher, the chaos reveals something deeper: a tender, unexpected connection between two lonely souls caught in the lather.
Based on Shelley Berman’s legendary routine Little Soaps, and adapted with permission by Bob Canning, this beloved piece of comedy history is brought to life with theatrical flair.
Included in Ageless! 11 Short Plays Celebrating Seniors
Rave reviews!
- Brisk, unpretentious…aimed at mature audiences in the best non-prurient sense of the term [with a] focus on piercing the veil of isolation and loneliness that seems endemic to contemporary middle-aged singles. – Philip Brandes, Los Angeles Times
- Sharply written…more fun than anything you’ll catch on the tube…a riot. – Teri Roberts, Back Stage West
- Endearing, light-hearted…instantly appealing. – Jeanne M. Allgood, L.A. Weekly
- Provide[s] whatever proof [is] needed as to what separates theatre from TV or film. Where else could elicit so many laughs from the prosaic topic of soap in such charming A.R. Gurney-like style…? – Gary Walker, Desert Sun, Palm Springs
From a Senior Theatre Director:
- With minimal staging, rich character roles, and a surprise emotional twist, Shelley Berman’s “No Soap!” is a director’s dream: fast-paced, funny, and full of heart. A masterclass in comedic escalation!
From the playwright, Bob Canning:
In 1997, a friend shared a funny email with me that was reputed to be a “true story.” Unfortunately, unbeknownst to her and perhaps millions of people around the world (including myself), the email was completely bogus.
“The following letters are taken from an actual incident between a London hotel and one of its guests. The Hotel ended up submitting the letters to the London Sunday Times!”
As a playwright, I saw this so-called true event in a more romantic theatrical light and added my own spin to it. I came up with a mini-A.R. Gurney-like play of letters between the hotel guest, a beleaguered businessman, and his “opponent,” an officious Head of Housekeeping. I changed the names as I thought the “real” people would be embarrassed or litigious. I called it “No Soap!” and began sending it out to theaters all over the United States. For several years, it was my most popular short play, especially around Valentine’s Day.
