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Fools
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Comedy / 7m, 3f / Int/ext. Leon Tolchinsky is ecstatic. He's landed a terrific teaching job in an idyllic Russian hamlet. When he arrives he finds people sweeping dust from the stoops back into their houses and people milking upside down to get more cream. The town has been cursed with Chronic Stupidity for 200 years and Leon's job is to break the curse. No one tells him t
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Hardcover, 90 pages
Published
April 12th 1982
by Random House
(first published January 1st 1981)
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Fools: A Comic Fable, 1981, Simon, Neil (1927)
Abstract: Fools is a comic fable by Neil Simon, set in the small village of Kulyenchikov, Ukraine (Russian Territory), during the late 19th century. The story starts with Leon Tolchinsky, an ambitious young schoolteacher, arriving in the village of Kulyenchikev. Upon arrival, Leon encounters a rather 'unintelligent' shepherd by the name of "Something Something Snetsky, the sheep loser." After a confusing and tedious conversation with Snetsky, Leon g ...more
Abstract: Fools is a comic fable by Neil Simon, set in the small village of Kulyenchikov, Ukraine (Russian Territory), during the late 19th century. The story starts with Leon Tolchinsky, an ambitious young schoolteacher, arriving in the village of Kulyenchikev. Upon arrival, Leon encounters a rather 'unintelligent' shepherd by the name of "Something Something Snetsky, the sheep loser." After a confusing and tedious conversation with Snetsky, Leon g ...more
(I really miss .5 stars in goodreads...)
I feel this is fairly a 3.5 star play: slightly shallow story line, somewhat funny, definitely easy to read. I believe I would enjoy a good performance of it, but as a script I'd say it's so and so. ...more
I feel this is fairly a 3.5 star play: slightly shallow story line, somewhat funny, definitely easy to read. I believe I would enjoy a good performance of it, but as a script I'd say it's so and so. ...more
"There is nothing like the logic, of an illogical mind"-Leon :)
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Certainly witty, especially funny, was unsure of the location and why it was set there of all places. A very lite story, but cute and entertaining none the less.
Neil Simon is a playright whose plays I'm familiar with and when I heard we were doing not one, but TWO of his productions at my college's theater I was excited. I'll be doing costume design for this play in the spring and after reading through the play I can't wait to get started.
The play starts off simply. "Leon Tolchinsky is ecstatic. He's landed a terrific teaching job in an idyllic Russian hamlet. When he arrives he finds people sweeping dust from the stoops back into their houses and peopl ...more
The play starts off simply. "Leon Tolchinsky is ecstatic. He's landed a terrific teaching job in an idyllic Russian hamlet. When he arrives he finds people sweeping dust from the stoops back into their houses and peopl ...more
This is such a clever play. Our school just did it for our fall performance, and it was a great comedy. It actually makes you laugh, and it has one of those clever underlying messages that is right on the paper. It's about how we need to take life as it is an enjoy the things we do have. "There is nothing like the logic, of an illogical mind"-Leon. That is so true. WORTH THE READ!
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I love Neil Simon. Fools is the story of a small Ukrainian village called Kulyenchikov which has a curse on it--so that everyone in the village is stupid and does brainless things. It's fun and funny. And--at the end--the narrator says, "We all have been in places like Kulyenchikov," and I thought, "Yes, I feel like I'm in it now."
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This play is only rated so highly because I played Something-Something Snetsky in my High School's rendition of "Fools." Otherwise, as far as literature goes, it isn't deep, it isn't insightful--however, it's funny. And silly. And full of puns.
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It's a fun, quick read. In parts, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Though the fools in this play are much exaggerated, they implicate the foolishness that could exist in humans. It won't take much of your time, and it's a pleasant piece, highly recommended.
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This fable of hilarious brilliance. Poignant and magical.
Chekov on helium...funny instead of serious but a thoughtful rendering of "what is the meaning of life"
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I liked this more than I thought I would. Well done.
I thought it was a perfect short comedy. And as all good comedies should, it ends with a wedding. As my colleague described it, it's a mix of Amelia Bedelia and Chekhov.
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I like this fable, packed with both humor and a deep message on ignorance being self-imposed by fear or guilt.
Basic Plot: Leon is hired to be the new schoolteacher in a town cursed by stupidity, falls in love with the doctor, and is doomed to eternal idiocy himself if he can't find a way to break the curse.
This script was genuinely funny. I found myself smiling often, and I can see this being a really enjoyable show to put on stage. It's completely clean, so suitable for pretty much any age of performer, though the elevated vocabulary of Leon would best be tackled by at least a high schooler. I'm not a ...more
This script was genuinely funny. I found myself smiling often, and I can see this being a really enjoyable show to put on stage. It's completely clean, so suitable for pretty much any age of performer, though the elevated vocabulary of Leon would best be tackled by at least a high schooler. I'm not a ...more
Thought I’d give this one another chance. It’s not bad exactly, but Simon plus the fable format makes the humor a bit too adult for kids and a bit too juvenile for adults. There never seems to be any real emotion or insight just a chuckle at the lack of cleverness.
There are some good lines and moments, but the basic joke is that no one knows the right name for anything... and they beat that joke into the ground for a hundred pages. It might just be my tastes, but I think there’s a better Neil Si ...more
There are some good lines and moments, but the basic joke is that no one knows the right name for anything... and they beat that joke into the ground for a hundred pages. It might just be my tastes, but I think there’s a better Neil Si ...more
I was fortunate enough to perform in this play. It is incredible funny.
Funny in a slap-stick, punny way.
So far, one of the favorite short plays I’ve ever read. It would be a great high school production :)
This play is about stupid people. It wasn't a big hit when it opened, but I've done it three times at my high school and people love it. It's very slap sticky .
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7m, 3w. Silly fun in a simple village set in 1890. Fun to do as readers theater. Only weakness is soliloquy at the end.
The best part of the book was the teacher was the hero. He saved the day and won the girl. Leon Tolchinsky was so clueless about what was going on and why everyone was stupid, but still was determined to educate Sophia Zubritsky. The worst part of the book was how strange it was. People talking to sheep and not knowing how a clock works. That strikes me as just a little odd. I’ll probably read more from this author, because I’ve been told that he has written better plays. Reading this book made
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I liked this play so much I gave it a perfect ranking. It was hilarious. I thought it was a good because they were dumb so I actually understood the book. It all starts with a teacher named Leon Tolchinsky got this job offer to be a teacher in the village of Kulyenchikov. It was a little weird because people were talking to sheep and sweeping the dust into there houses instead of out of there houses. It was interesting because Leon didn’t know that if he couldn’t cure the stupid people within tw
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Clever concept with witty dialogue. Not always a fan of Simon's plays; but I definitely enjoyed this one. If I could do one rewrite, I'd go after the closing line, which was just a little to sacchrine for my taste.
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Fools by Neil Simon (1981)
Classic slap stick comedy - what's not to love?
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Student directed this play in High School.
Love this play. It is just so extremely funny. I love it even more now that I know Simon wrote it to be a flop. Couldn't disagree with the man more--this one is a hit!
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Jan 20, 2014
Catherine Brickell
added it
Didn't bother finishing. Cute though.
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A classic from Simon that is often forgotten thanks to his other great plays. Well worth a look, and it would be a very simple production to mount.
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Marvin Neil Simon was an American playwright and screenwriter. He wrote more than 30 plays and he received more combined Oscar and Tony nominations than any other writer. He was one of the most reliable hitmakers in Broadway history, as well as one of the most performed playwrights in the world. Though primarily a comic writer, some of his plays, particularly the Eugene Trilogy and The Sunshine Bo
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