The North Crawford Playhouse will present ‘Shakespeare in Hollywood’ on March 11, 12, and 14, 15, 16.
The opening night performance on Monday, March 11 will be free to the public, according to North Crawford Playhouse Director Rob Ghormley.
A perfectly fabulous evening of laughter and love is available with the presentation of Ken Ludwig’s riotous comedy.
“This will be a bright spot of spring after our long icy winter,” Ghormley said. “And to all of our dear loyal patrons who say, ‘Oh, no! Not Shakespeare,’ we say, ‘Fear not!” This is NOT a Shakespeare play; it is a modern comedy about a Hollywood movie crew trying, with much comic difficulty, to make a movie of Shakespeare’s play, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.”
The play begins with lights and applause at the grand premiere of the movie in 1934. The directors, Max Reinhardt (Dylan Ghormley) and his wife Eva (Zoe Peters), narrate the flashback of their escapades, beginning with selling the idea to the vicious CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures, Jack Warner (Tyler Steyer). Initially, Warner soundly refuses, until his girlfriend, the sultry starlette Lydia Lansing (Rowan Williamson) throws a screaming hissy fit that Warner must produce the show, starring her, or ELSE! Shooting begins. Hollywood, see? Look, Ma, no Shakespeare!
Aha, but suddenly… enter disaster, the mystical, magical pair, the REAL Oberon, King of the Fairies (Jerrid McDaniel) and his hilarious henchman, Puck (Rosa Thill and Amber Weihert) accidentally appear onto the soundstage of the movie, accompanied by a herd of live woodland fairies (Martha Bransky, Sydney Williams, Kylie Heisz, Brennah Ghormley, Faith Morga, Lilly Price, Jordan Finnell, and Riley Chellevold). Extremely confused and terrified, they stumbled about lost until they happen upon lovely Olivia Darnell (Sheri Schwert), an actress who fascinates Oberon with her small-town charm. It’s love. Ah!
Oh, but Olivia is loved and adored by actor Dick Powell (Jared Smith), who approaches Oberon for advice on how to woo the lady Oberon loves. Thunder! See?... Hollywood!
But wait! Bom-ba-BA-bomp! Enter the insufferable Hayes sisters (Riley Barlow, Jeanne Wollschlager, and Elizabeth Paczok) of the League of Decency. These overbearing broads demand the immediate super-censorship of Shakespeare’s spirited script or ELSE!
Unfortunately, they mistake Oberon for a two-bit actor and insult him big time. The Fairy King vows revenge and plots to ruin the Hayes sisters by applying the juice of Shakespeare’s famous magic flower, which causes anyone to fall in love with the first thing they see. He sends Puck and the fairies to fetch that flower or ELSE!
Of course, when Puck arrives with the flower, he bungles the whole thing by getting the juice in exactly the wrong people’s eyes. By now, it’s a party! Lydia falls for Warner’s yes-man, Daryl (Jacob Bransky), the Hayes sisters fall for… Oh, you wait! Olivia and Dick Powell become enamored with Joe E. Brown (Elan Martin) who is dressed as a girl in his role of Thisby, a guy playing a girl character in the play within the play. See? It’s Hollywood!
Now it’s “Lights! Camera! Action!” as to how Oberon sorts it all out! Bring the whole family to see the romance, fun and laughter of ‘Shakespeare in Hollywood!’ Tickets are on sale now in the North Crawford School District Office. Call 608-735-4318 for reservations. Adults $7—Students $5. Monday night admission is free to the public. Don’t miss it! It’s ‘Shakespeare in Hollywood’ at the the North Crawford Playhouse starting on Monday, March 11.
