Mastergate

by Larry Gelbart

The Tony Award-winning playwright and creator of TV's MASH has fashioned a wickedly funny satire about the Iran-Contra Senate hearings and their participants. A top-notch Hollywood cast, headed by Edward Asner and Walter Matthau, brings this scathing comedy to life.
A L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance Edward Asner, Melanie Chartoff, Jack Coleman, Eric Douglas, Charles Durning, Judyann Elder, Hector Elizondo, Robin Gammell, Harold Gould, Arye Gross, Walter Matthau, John Randolph, William Schallert, Joe Spano, Jesse White and Harris Yulin.

1 hr., 37 min., 6 sec.

Genres: Plays, Humor

Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Larry Simon Gelbart was an American comedy writer and dramatist.

Reviews

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The audiobook version of this play is the way to go; it was laugh out loud hilarious

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This joke-a-minute, laugh-out-loud farce may seem dated, but poking fun at the government never gets old.

[Peter Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and a great read! Larry Gelbart is a pro at word play.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mastergate is no M*A*S*H, Larry Gelbert's Emmy Award-winning classic television series. Nor is it A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, the Tony Award-winning play for which Gelbert wrote the book.

Posited as a parodic version of what the Iran/Contra hearings should have been, Gelbert's Mastergate unveils a series of bad puns. So many possible targets! Pompous senators, slimy weapons contractors, self-righteous ideologues, introverted bureaucrats turned whistle-blowing heroes. Which is tragic, as this work features a star-filled cast: Ed Asner, Walter Mathau, Charles Durning. This could have been a contender instead of a barely tolerable pun-a-palooza.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio play with a cast including Malter Matthau and Ed Asner. It was laugh out loud funny. I love a well written play and this was just that play. Some time find it dated, but I found it hilarious. This is one audio book I could listen over and over.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was like a Saturday Night Live skit gone too long.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

A real dud. This parody of Iran-Contra and other scandals of its ilk is really the same joke over and over.

[Kirsti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't finish this one either. It had clever wordplay but not much else.

[Matt G · Rating 1 out of 5]

dated, lame, grating studio audience noise

[Steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of zany one liners.