Line #59 Theatre/DontDrinkTheWater


1	[[quoteright:315:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dont_drink_the_water_playbill_art.jpeg]]
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3	''Don't Drink the Water'' is a 1966 comedy play written by Creator/WoodyAllen and centering around the UsefulNotes/ColdWar.
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5	In an unnamed European country behind the UsefulNotes/IronCurtain, the American Ambassador must leave the Embassy for business. In his absence he places his incompetent son Axel Magee in charge. Almost immediately the Embassy is thrust into a crisis as the Hollanders, an American family of tourists, come rushing in on the run from the Communist police. Walter, the father, had accidentally snuck into a high security area and taken pictures, causing the Communists to believe the family are spies. Axel digs the hole deeper and the embassy is surrounded, leaving the Hollanders trapped.
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7	Adapted into a 1969 feature film, directed by Howard Morris and starring Creator/JackieGleason as Walter, Creator/EstelleParsons as Marion, Ted Bessell as Axel, Joan Delaney as Susan, and Creator/RichardLibertini as Father Drobney; and a 1994 MadeForTVMovie starring Allen as Walter, Creator/JulieKavner as Marion, Creator/MichaelJFox as Axel, Creator/MayimBialik as Susan, and Creator/DomDeLuise as Father Drobney.
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10	The main characters are:
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12	* Axel Magee - An American foreign diplomat who only went into the business due to his father rather than his actual talent in art. He has a tendency to ramble, especially when nervous. He falls in love with Susan during the play.
13	* Walter Hollander - A caterer from Newark, New Jersey. He is married to Marion and is the father of Susan and Seth. He causes his family to become trapped in the American embassy after he takes pictures of a high security area. He is very loud and abrasive but he can be kind when he wants to.
14	* Marion Hollander - Walter's homemaker wife and the mother of Susan and Seth, she too is somewhat inappropriate but she's much kinder then Walter.
15	* Susan Hollander - Walter and Marion's beautiful daughter who falls in love with Axel.
16	* Father Drobney - A priest hiding out in the embassy for 6 years with a love of magic tricks. He is the narrator of the play.
17	* Kilroy - Ambassador Magee's stuck-up assistant who is much more competent at his job than Axel.
18	* Krojack - The head of the Communist police who traps the Hollanders in the embassy.
19	* Burns - An assistant working at the embassy.
20	* Ambassador Magee - Axel's father who is the ambassador of the unnamed country and the head of the embassy.
21	* Chef - The embassy's chef, who consistently butts heads with Walter.
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23	!!This work provides examples of:
24	* AmbiguouslyJewish: The Hollanders, Walter and Marion are almost stereotypical with their traits but Susan is barely noticeable.
25	* AssInAmbassador: Subverted. Kilroy and Axel's father are awful people but they are wonderful at their jobs.
26	* AuthorAvatar: Both Walter and Axel have similarities to Woody Allen.
27	* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Walter and Marion have one of these moments in Act II after constant bickering.
28	%% * BetaCouple: Walter and Marion to Axel and Susan
29	* BookEnds: The play both starts and ends with Father Drobney breaking the fourth wall and discussing the characters to the audience.
30	* BreakingTheFourthWall: Father Drobney does this several time, directly addressing the audience and delivering exposition
31	%% * ButtMonkey: Axel
32	* ChewToy: Kilroy, to the point that there is a RunningGag of him getting horribly injured.
33	* DatingWhatDaddyHates: With the exception of Donald, Walter is not pleased with the men that Susan has been involved with.
34	* DiplomaticImpunity: Axel has this[[spoiler: and is able to save Susan by marrying her and ensuring her the same immunity.]]
35	* DisposableFiance: Donald, a respectable lawyer back home in New Jersey. He and Susan are due to be married the following week. However, Susan finds him dull and has been developing cold feet.
36	* {{Elopement}}: At the end of the play [[spoiler: Father Drobney performs an impromptu wedding ceremony for Axel and Susan.]]
37	* EndearinglyDorky: Despite (or maybe due to) Axels clumsy incompetence, Susan falls madly in love with him over the space of a few days.
38	%% * FlatCharacter: Burns
39	%% General Example%% * GenderFlip: In many amateur productions, several of the male characters are played by women. The most common are Kilroy, Burns and Krojack.
40	%% * HappilyMarried: Walter and Marion, [[spoiler: Axel and Susan]]
41	%% * HawaiianShirtedTourist: Walter
42	* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: Walter and Marion's second child, Seth. Also, Susan's fiance Donald.
43	** In the Jackie Gleason version both are seen in a pre credit sequence: Seth being PutOnABus to camp, and Donald seeing the Hollanders off at the airport.
44	%% * HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood: Axel
45	%% * JerkAss: Walter, who turns out to be a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.
46	%% * JewishMother: Marion
47	%% * LargeHam: Walter. Marion is a unique kind of character who can either be a ham or a DeadpanSnarker.
48	%% * MistakenForSpies: Walter, Marion and Susan by Krojack. Basically the entire essence of the plot.
49	%% * ManicPixieDreamGirl: Susan
50	%% * MotorMouth: Axel
51	* MrExposition: For the first Act Kilroy is practically all exposition and no humour, in the second Act he has a far more comedic role and his role of delivering the exposition to the main characters is given to Father Drobney.
52	* {{Nepotism}}: The only reason Axel has his job at the Embassy, let alone a position of power, is because his father is in charge.
53	* OddNameOut: A small example, Walter is the only Hollander without a name of Hebrew origin.
54	%% * PickyEater: Walter, much to the Chef's exasperation.
55	* PoorCommunicationKills: Axel is completely unable to articulate to Krojack that the Hollanders are not spies and, in fact, makes the situation worse. Kilroy manages to fix the problem in no time flat, other circumstances (mainly Walter) are the only things that keep his plan from working.
56	%% * ProfessionalButtKisser: Kilroy
57	%% * RomanticRunnerUp: Susan's fiance, Donald.
58	* RunForTheBorder: The elaborate plan for the Hollanders to escape. [[spoiler: It fails the second they step out of the door. In the end, Walter and Marion are able to escape via this route and disguising their identities.]]
59	* {{Ruritania}}: The unnamed Communist country in which the embassy is situated.
60	%% * SarcasticConfession: Walter gives one to Krojack when he thinks he and his family are safe. Unfortunately, they're not safe...
61	%% * SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Susan and Axel.
62	%% * TheSixties
63	* SkewedPriorities: Walter is adamant about leaving the country as quickly as possible: Susan and Donald are due to be married the following week and he doesn't want to lose his deposit on the wedding venue.
64	* TheOner: The 1994 version has many long shots, possibly because of the origins of being a stage play.
65	* UglyAmericanStereotype: Walter is loud, self-important, and is openly disdainful of the local cuisine.
66	%% * UglyGuysHotDaughter: Walter and Susan.
67	%% * WellDoneSonGuy: Axel
68	* WhiteSheep: Susan is polite and friendly, as opposed to her rather rude and loud parents.
69	%% * WorldOfHam

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