Night of Short Plays: Hello! Shakespeare (Play 1); The Rules Of Comedy (Play 2)

Hello! Shakespeare
This fast-paced comedy is an entertaining way to introduce student actors and their audiences to the wonderful world of Shakespeare. A narrator and her irreverent helper comically provide a brief biography of the playwright, who appears in protest to make sure they get the details right.  Drawing from Shakespeare’s long list of histories, comedies, and tragedies, a grand parade of the Bard’s most cherished and famous characters follows. They humorously reenact brief moments from their plays and recite famous lines in iambic pentameter all while the impish helper, now dressed as Puck, creates mischief.  With a hilarious grand finale performance of “Pyramusand Thisbe” from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, this simple-to-produce, whirlwind introduction to Shakespeare has something for everyone.

The Rules of Comedy
The audience is given a side-splitting lesson in what's funnyand what's not funny. In order to prove that the Rules of Comedy work, they are hilariously inserted into one of the most popular tragedies of all time: William Shakespeare's Hamlet. The Rules of Comedy is a physical comedy "blow-out" with an interesting twist that showcases the cast's ability to handle tragic drama, as well. Playing by the rules has never been so much fun.