Mizlansky/Zilinsky or "Schmucks"
THE STORY: Set in the ever-so-sleek and slick Hollywood of the '80s, this dizzily funny, yet jarringly sober play revolves around the manic film producer Davis Mizlansky who is on the brink of being done in by the IRS. Desperate to save himself, and morals be damned (if he ever had any to begin with), he comes up with a scheme he’s sure will save the day—and might just make him some money to boot. In order to make his idea work, he must convince his former partner, Sam Zilinsky, to come on board with the businessman who can make the deal to produce celebrity-narrated Bible stories for children. Mizlansky and Zilinsky square off and chaos ensues as Zilinsky confronts Mizlansky with the wreck his life has become. Is the offer of selling shares in a phony tax shelter a form of redemption? Mizlansky thinks it is. They get away with it, but Zilinsky knows it is a deeper form of betrayal.
“Never underestimate the entertainment value of the industriously amoral…Jon Robin Baitz is proving there is still life in the ethical emptiness of Lotus Land with his invigorating…new comedy, MIZLANSKY/ZILINSKY, OR “SCHMUCKS"…It is as much a morality play as a hard-edged satire…you have to be grateful for a play as saturated in quirky social detail as this one…Mr. Baitz [does] wonders in realizing the hypnotic pull of Mizlansky’s words. The play is about falling under that spell, even as you realize it’s woven of polluted air.” —The New York Times.
“MIZLANSKY/ZILINSKY…is loaded with wonderfully observed, delightfully sly, deceptively offhand humor. It also—and here anticipated Baitz qualities rule—has a loving heart and conscience that ultimately manage both to entertain and move us.” —Newsday (NY).
“Jon Robin Baitz’s expert new play…plays out with a fast-paced freshness that’s irresistible…the real star here is Baitz’s impeccable writing. Like a master craftsman, he’s carved out each word and phrase for maximum effect. Yet his authorial presence is never intrusive or showy. And his humor is razor sharp.” —Time Out New York.
