Enter Laughing

New York City, 1938. David Kolowitz, who still lives at home with his parents - overbearing mother Emma and milquetoast father Morris - has his whole life planned by them: that beyond his current job working in Mr. Foreman's machine shop, he will eventually, preferably sooner than later, go to pharmacy school whenever they can afford to send him. David has other things on his mind, one being girls. Despite being in a relationship with Wanda, the two who probably love each other, his mind and eyes often wander to other girls, like Miss B, the bookkeeper of one of Mr. Foreman's regular business customers, Harry Hamburger. The second is movies, especially those of Ronald Colman. As he is always mimicking Colman in reciting lines from his movies, David dreams of becoming a movie actor despite having no experience. Regardless, on his friend Marvin's suggestion, David decides to go to an open casting call, not for a movie role but for a way off Broadway position within Harrison B. Marlowe's theater troupe. Unwise to the entertainment and acting businesses, David does get the position, which includes a small but pivotal supporting role in the current production, but, excited into this foray into acting, doesn't comprehend the reason for the small interest is that it, unpaid, requires the successful applicant to make financial investments of his own, specifically for "tuition" (as the position is seen as a learning one within the company) and for his costume of a tuxedo, money for which he doesn't have. The other catch is that David goes on stage in two days, meaning that he not only has to learn his lines by then, but fit in much needed rehearsals, all within his other time commitments especially in his day job with an already exasperated Mr. Foreman. David also has to convince his parents, who he knows would be against him doing anything outside of their set goals for him, and Wanda, who is probably okay with this acting job as a side to his life, but perhaps not okay in he being passionate with his leading lady, Marlowe's daughter Angela who has to feel what she is performing.