Playwright Ellen Simon brings her play 'Ass' to Pioneer Theatre — so her friend, Karen Azenberg, can help get it on its feet

Ellen Simon and Karen Azenberg go way back. They met as girls, because their fathers worked together: Neil Simon was the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning playwright who created “The Odd Couple” and “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” and Manny Azenberg produced Simon’s plays for decades.

Karen Azenberg is now the artistic director of Salt Lake City’s biggest professional theater group, Pioneer Theatre Company. Ellen Simon is a playwright, who brought her latest play, “Ass,” to have its world premiere at Pioneer in October.

The main reason Simon brought “Ass” — the story of the rocky relationship between a famous sculptor and his son — to Utah was so Azenberg could apply her talents as a director to get the show up on its feet.

I interviewed Simon and Azenberg for sltrib.com, to talk about their friendship, their collaboration, and about “Ass.”