THE LAUGH TRACK to Open at International City Theatre in Long Beach

International City Theatre will present the West Coast premiere of The Laugh Track, a new comedy about the business of being funny by Wendy MacLeod. Directed by Brian Shnipper, the production opens November 6 and runs through November 22 at International City Theatre's home in the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. Two low-priced preview performances are scheduled for November 4 and 5.

The play takes audiences behind the scenes of the classic American sitcom I Love Lucy, which aired on CBS from 1951 to 1957. Inspired by the real-life experiences of Madelyn Pugh, one of Hollywood's first female television writers (often referred to at the time as the “girl writer”), the play shines a light on the inner workings of America's beloved sitcom and the woman who punched up the jokes, helping to open doors for women in the writers' room.

In MacLeod's fictional dramatization, Pugh (Alli Brown) and her writing partner, Bob Carroll Jr. (Josh Odsess-Rubin), meet at a restaurant in 1957, after their work together on I Love Lucy has come to an end. As they reminisce about their years on the show, their conversation triggers flashes of the past, revealing their experiences working with Lucille Ball (Jennifer Sorensen), Desi Arnaz (Bill Mendieta) and various studio executives (Hunter Bodine). Alyssa Corella plays the restaurant waitress, a wannabe actor with ambitions of making it in Hollywood.

Through these flashbacks, we see Maddie and Bob's complicated relationship, which is tested by Bob's tendency to let Maddie do the typing while taking credit for her jokes. As their personal relationship deepens, Lucy and Desi come apart, and the show's singular success takes a toll on everyone involved. Fast-paced and full of wit, The Laugh Track brings familiar characters to life while exploring the challenges faced by women in a male-dominated entertainment industry.

MacLeod was researching the early days of television for a TV show she was developing when she came across Pugh's obituary. The Laugh Track was commissioned by Seattle's ACT and developed at the Hedgebrook Women Playwrights Festival. It premiered at Maine's Portland Stage Company in May, 2026.