The Pain and the Itch
Which isn’t to say that this is sitcom writing. Norris began acting and directing in Chicago in the 80s, and he’s been writing plays since 1991. He’s far too cerebral to be content with the usual setups and punch lines. Still, a few familiar tropes appear. There’s the classic setting–a holiday dinner gone badly awry. Then there are the familiar characters, family members who drive one another a little nuts. Clay (as in “feet of”) is a henpecked, whiny, ineffectual househusband to Kelly, a domineering lawyer. Clay’s brother is a plastic surgeon, Cash (as in “cold hard”), who prides himself on cutting through the bullshit with witty rejoinders. Clay and Cash’s distracted mother, Carol, can never remember jokes. The person with the funny accent is Cash’s young eastern European wife, Kalina. There’s also some semiabsurdist business about someone or something gnawing on the avocados in the kitchen.
