Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, and winner of The Helen Hayes Award for Best New Play of the Year (the MacArthur Award).
It's 1934, and Shakespeare's most famous fairies, Oberon and Puck, have magically materialized on the set of a Warner Brothers movie of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Smitten by the glitz and glamour of show biz, the two are ushered onto the silver screen to play (who else?) themselves.
With a little help from a feisty flower, a blonde bombshell and a movie mogul, the results are raucous to say the least. The mischievous magic of moviedom sparkles in this hilarious comic romp.
Recent News and Reviews
Reviews
"'Shakespeare in Hollywood' will charm your socks off. It left me smiling in my Amtrak aisle seat all the way home to New York."
- The Wall Street Journal
Emily Donahoe as Puck - Casey Biggs as Oberon (Arena Stage). Photo: Jim Roese
Michael Sharon as Oberon - Caroline Tamas as Puck (The Wilma Theater)
Robert Prosky as Max Reinhardt - Everett Quinton as Will Hays (Arena Stage). Photo: Jim Roese
Katherine Haselkorn as Olivia Darnell
"Shakespeare in Hollywood is so deliciously inventive, you'd swear Ludwig and the Bard were in cahoots. At once poignant and funny, literary and farcical, sophisticated and silly, political and fanciful, high-brow and low-brow … a delight!"
- The Baltimore Sun
"Lights, camera, action -- there's plenty of it in Ken Ludwig's fantastical farce … Ludwig has constructed an amazingly dense and layered romp [and] clearly had a ball fusing Shakespearean diction with the wisecracking verbal jousting that characterized pre-World War II comedies."
- The Boston Globe
"A fast, funny, entertaining night."
- NBC 4
"Mischief, mayhem and laughter abound as the Good Theater tackles this farcical notion in Ken Ludwig's devilishly funny play "Shakespeare in Hollywood." ...There's never a dull moment in this fun-filled piece."
- The Portland Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram
"Wit Makes a Hit!"
- The Advocate, Baton Rouge LA
AWARDS
Winner of the Helen Hayes Award as Best New Play of the Year.
Original Cast and Creative Team
SHAKESPEARE IN HOLLYWOOD premiered on September 5, 2004 at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., Molly Smith, Artistic Director, Stephen Richard, Executive Director, Guy Bergquist, Producer. It was directed by Kyle Donnelly. The set was designed by Thomas Lynch, the costumes were by Jess Goldstein, the lighting by Nancy Schertler, and the sound by Susan R. White. The Company Manger was Jill A. Mauritz, the Casting Director was Eli Dawson, and the Choreographer was Karma Camp. The Stage Manager was Brady Ellen Poole, the Assistant Stage Manager was Amy K. Bennett, the Fight Choreographer was Brad Waller, the Dramaturg was Michael Kinghorn, the Speech and Vocal Consultant was Lynn Watson, and the Technical Director was Jim Glendinning. The production was graciously sponsored by Esthy and Jim Adler.
The cast, in order of appearance was as follows: LOUELLA PARSONS - Ellen Karas; MAX REINHART - Robert Prosky; DICK POWELL - David Fendig; JACK WARNER - Rick Foucheux; DARYL - Michael Skinner; LYDIA LANSING - Alice Ripley; OBERON - Casey Biggs; PUCK - Emily Donahoe; OLIVIA DARNELL - Maggie Lacey; WILL HAYES - Everett Quinton; JOE E. BROWN - Hugh Nees; JIMMY CAGNEY - Adam Richman; ENSEMBLE - Bethany Caputo, Scott Graham, Eric Jorgensen, Robert McClure