Don't Drink the Water (play)

Don't Drink the Water is a play written by Woody Allen that premiered on Broadway in 1966. The farce takes place inside an American Embassy behind the Iron Curtain. Although Allen contributed material for the 1960 Broadway musical revue From A to Z, this was his first professionally produced play. The play was described as being "near the hit line", "one big overfed American folk joke" and "a very funny situation comedy" by critic Otis L. Guernsey.

Don't Drink the Water premiered on Broadway at the Morosco Theatre on November 17, 1966, and closed on April 20, 1968, after 598 performances at three different Broadway theaters. The cast included Lou Jacobi, Kay Medford and Anita Gillette as the Hollander family. Tony Roberts (Alex Magee) and Donna Mills (Sultan's First Wife) were also in the cast.Richard Libertini also appeared, as Father Drobney, and reprised the role in the 1969 film. The production was directed by Stanley Prager and produced by David Merrick with Charles H. Joffe and Jack Rollins.

According to the book Conversations with Woody Allen by Eric Lax, Allen says that Vivian Vance was originally cast as the wife character, but agreed she was wrong for the part, so she was replaced by Kay Medford, who Allen believes brought the character to life.

In an unnamed European country behind the Iron Curtain, 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 Hollander, the father, had accidentally snuck into a high security area and taken pictures, causing the communists to believe that the family are spies. Axel digs the hole deeper and the embassy is surrounded, leaving the Hollanders trapped.

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