Underpants, The

Underpants, The
by Steve Martin

Underpants, The
List Price: $10.95
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Book Summary Information

Author: Steve Martin
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2002-11-20
ISBN: 0786888245
Number of pages: 160
Publisher: Hyperion
Product features:

Book Reviews of Underpants, The

Book Review: Fame is fleeting when there is a clothing malfunction...
Summary: 5 Stars

The Underpants is Steve Martin's interpretation of a play written by German playwright Carl Sternheim in the early 1900s.

Louise, stretching on her tiptoes to get a better view of the King, has her underpants drop to the floor. Her husband, Theo, is scandalized, but the story revolves around the other men who witnessed this event, who try hard to get Louise to provide a second performance in her own home.

This is a comedy piece, through and through, although there are hints of the times with anti-Semitism ("That's Cohen with a K"), disparate gender roles, and sexual repression. Given the publicity associated with "wardrobe malfunctions" today, the story reflects culture's continuing interest in those "brief peeks" (pun intended).

I think it would be a blast to see this play in production. I missed my chance during the 2002-03 season of the Manoa Valley Theatre. And now that I've read the screenplay, I can sense that it would have been a hoot.

The Underpants, published in 2002 by Hyperion, is an attractive and well-constructed book, and it will give you a good sense of what to expect in a performance.

Summary of Underpants, The

heobald Maske has an unusual problem: his wife's underpants won't stay on. One Sunday morning they fall to her ankles right in the middle of town-a public scandal! Mortified, Theo swears to keep her at home until she can find some less unruly undies. Amid this chaos he's trying to rent a room in their flat. The prospective lodgers have some underlying surprises of their own. In The Underpants, Steve Martin brings his comic genius and sophisticated literary style to Carl Sternheim's classic 1910 farce. His hilarious new version was staged by Artistic Director Barry Edelstein, and opened in March '02 on Off-Broadway to critical acclaim.

United States Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in United States Books
Precious Bane ImagePrecious Bane
by Mary Webb, Meryl Friedman
Dramatic Pub.; Published: 1998-04; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $5.50
Complete Works of Oscar Wilde (Collins Classics) ImageComplete Works of Oscar Wilde (Collins Classics)
by Oscar Wilde
HarperCollins UK; Published: 2003-08-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.91
Price in other shops: $35.00
Laramie Project ImageLaramie Project
by Moises Kaufman
San Val; Published: 2001-09; Library Binding; Book
Best price: $24.50
Amadeus (Penguin Plays) (Spanish Edition) ImageAmadeus (Penguin Plays) (Spanish Edition)
by Peter Shaffer
Penguin Books; Published: 1999-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $9.95
Price in other shops: $14.60
The Reduced Shakespeare Co. presentsThe Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (abridged) ImageThe Reduced Shakespeare Co. presentsThe Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (abridged)
by William Shakespeare, Adam Long, Daniel Singer, Jess Borgeson
Applause Books; Published: 2000-02-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.99
Price in other shops: $14.95
Beautiful Joe (new edition) ImageBeautiful Joe (new edition)
by Marshall Saunders
Book Jungle; Published: 2007-05-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.45
The Code of the Woosters (Cassettes Edition -- unabridged) ImageThe Code of the Woosters (Cassettes Edition -- unabridged)
by P. G. Wodehouse
Chivers Audio Books; Published: 1990-09-01; Audio Cassette; Book
Best price: $59.95
The Forgotten Door ImageThe Forgotten Door
by Gregory A. Falls, Alexander Key
Anchorage Pr; Published: 1985-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.00
Torch Song Trilogy ImageTorch Song Trilogy
by Harvey Fierstein
Gay Presses of New York; Published: 1981-05; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $7.95
Rent ImageRent
by Jonathan Larson
It Books; Published: 1997-06-04; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.32
Price in other shops: $39.95
Similar Books and other products
Let's Get Small ImageSteve Martin - Let's Get Small
Martin; Release date: 2008-05-20; Music CD
Best price: $2.09
Price in other shops: $5.98
Saturday Night Live - The Best of Steve Martin ImageSaturday Night Live - The Best of Steve Martin
LIONS GATE HOME ENT.; Release date: 2000-04-25; DVD
Best price: $4.87
Price in other shops: $9.98
The Pillowman ImageThe Pillowman
by Martin McDonagh
Dramatist's Play Service; Published: 2006-01-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.50
Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life ImageBorn Standing Up: A Comic's Life
by Steve Martin
Scribner; Published: 2008-09-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.25
Price in other shops: $15.00
Fuddy Meers ImageFuddy Meers
by David Lindsay-Abaire
Dramatists Play Service; Published: 2000-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.04
Price in other shops: $7.50
Cruel Shoes ImageCruel Shoes
by Steve Martin
G. P. Putnam's Sons; Published: 1979-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $48.95
Another Opening, Another Show: An Introduction to the Theatre ImageAnother Opening, Another Show: An Introduction to the Theatre
by Tom Markus, Linda Sarver, Tom Markus, Linda Sarver
McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; Published: 2004-07-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $63.99
The Alphabet from A to Y With Bonus Letter Z! ImageThe Alphabet from A to Y With Bonus Letter Z!
by Steve Martin, Roz Chast
Flying Dolphin Press; Published: 2007-10-23; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.37
Price in other shops: $17.95
Pure Drivel ImagePure Drivel
by Steve Martin
Hyperion; Published: 1999-10-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.38
Price in other shops: $10.95
Picasso at the Lapin Agile and Other Plays ImagePicasso at the Lapin Agile and Other Plays
by Steve Martin
Grove Press; Published: 1997-08-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.29
Price in other shops: $13.00