TheatreWorks' "Shakespeare in Hollywood"


A bit long in the set-up, but some priceless comedic pay-offs

My recollection of playwright Ken Ludwig's "Lend Me a Tenor" is that it was pretty much rip roaring fun from start to finish. I remember hilarity and side-splitting from the gate.

Ludwig's "Shakespeare in Hollywood" takes a lot more time to set up all the characters and plot threads. And most of that set-up qualifies as amusing and charming, not hilarious. The pay-off moments, though, are equal to any in his earlier work.

It's no use trying to describe the plot. It's "Midsummer NIght's Dream" meets the Marx brothers.

There are some stand-out players that deliver the goods, led by two very different actors: Gerry Hiken as the charming, elderly Max Reinhardt and Rebecca Dines as the spritely, youthful Puck. Joined by Don Carrier as the noble, passionate Oberon and Lucy Owen as Lydia Lansing, whose accent is unfathomable, but whose rendition of backwards Shakespeare is unforgettable, these four primary players keep the action moving and the laughs coming.

Dines' physicalization, straight-outta-"Oliver" cockney accent and inspired costuming delivered many of my favorite moments. [Although I must admit she did remind me a bit of that creepy guy in the Six Flags commercials.]

But it was Hiken who brought an overall warmth and charm to the piece...a beleaguered German Everyman amongst the Hollywood crazies. When Reinhardt is finally struck by Cupid's arrow (or his stamen in this case) it is a bit of physical humor that brought literal gales of laughter out of this jaded theatre-goer.

Bottom line recommendation: it was a fun 2 hours in the theatre, good for numerous laughs out loud. If not at "Noises Off" or "Lend Me a Tenor" level of constant guffaws, then on the just the next rung of the laughter ladder.

Posted: Mon - January 31, 2005 at 09:55 PM       EmailFeedback

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