P.T.D. Productions' "Laughter on the 23rd Floor" opens Thursday.

Given this winter’s conditions, perhaps it’s not surprising that Carl Ellison, director of P.T.D. Productions’ “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” cited “bad weather” as one of his biggest challenges while preparing the Neil Simon comedy.

Yet Ellison also approached the casting process with great care.

“We were a bit picky,” said Ellison. “We even held an extra round of open auditions to see as many actors as possible. We wanted to be sure that we were picking the right actors, people that could really breathe life into these characters. And I believe that we have accomplished that. … They have also formed a very close bond offstage, and I think that comes through.”

This would be important, since the show focuses on a group of television comedy writers. Based on Simon’s early career experiences as a writer for Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows” - and with characters based on Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, and Selma Diamond, among others - “Laughter” highlights the fighting, writing, and craziness that happens in a TV show’s writers’ room, and the star’s battles with network executives regarding the sophistication of the show’s humor.

“Max Prince is locking horns with the network in an effort to keep his show on the air, and NBC is looking to replace it with shows that appeal to a wider audience, as television is expanding to new markets,” said Ellison. “At its heart, the show is about this ‘family’ of writers trying to deal with a divorce of sorts. What really struck me is that this is truly an ensemble show. Every character gets a chance to shine.”

“Laughter”’s Broadway premiere production, directed by Jerry Zaks, opened in November 1993, starring Nathan Lane, Mark Linn-Baker, Bitty Schramm and others. The show definitely has its fans, but it’s produced far less often the plays that make up Simon’s so-called Eugene Trilogy.

“(Simon’s) Eugene plays (‘Brighton Beach Memoirs,’ ‘Biloxi Blues,’ and ‘Broadway Bound’) are better known, largely because they have all been made into movies, and at least one, ‘Biloxi Blues,’ was very successful,” said Ellison. “Additionally, I think that there is a feeling that people connect a bit more with the characters when the shows are more personal. More people can identify with being in army boot camp than with being a writer for a TV show. … (But) ‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’ isn’t just about The Max Prince Show. It’s about the people (who create it) and what they are facing.”

In this way, the show isn’t simply a vehicle for Simon’s punch lines, according to Ellison, but rather a comedy tinged with all-too-human emotions.

“I think that all theater, or entertainment for that matter, should be a bit escapist,” Ellison said. “ … If someone is in the audience thinking about having their tires rotated, you’re not doing a very good job on the stage. And ‘Laughter’ is very funny, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a balance. There are some very poignant moments as this slightly dysfunctional ‘family’ comes to terms with the changes that they are facing."