Comedy/ 4 actors minimum, 2 Men, 2 Women; expandable up to 7-8 Men, 6 Women/ One Act
Synopsis:
Four of the Bard’s characters wait for an overdue flight to London. When Romeo reveals that he plans to revenge himself upon Shakespeare, whom he blames for ruining his life, by killing him in a duel, the others — Titania, Viola, and Antipholus — try to save the playwright by convincing Romeo that Shakespeare “does indeed love love.”
To do so, they recall scenes (excerpts from the actual Shakespearean plays) that show Shakespeare’s playful side. Titania, for example, shows her enchanted love for Bottom. Antipholus shows Romeo the confusion that occurs when he is mistaken for his twin brother — by his brother’s wife. Viola, dressed as a man, carries a Duke’s message of love to another woman — even though Viola has fallen in love with the Duke herself.
At the very last moment, they succeed in convincing Romeo to spare Shakespeare, and all’s well that ends well.
A portion of From Shakespeare With Love? may be read by clicking on the “Read It Now” button. To obtain a complete reading copy, please see the Contact Information on this page.
Presented by special arrangement with YouthPLAYS.
“A delightful portrayal and enriching experience of Shakespeare and some of the many ‘love’ interests in his plays.
“Comments we have received based on the evaluations that are mailed to us state that the show is ‘excellent, very funny,’ ‘very appropriate for 7th through 12th grades,’ ‘a clever concept,’ and ‘A delightful romp into a world that students rarely get to experience . . .’.”
– Francis Licopoli, Outreach Coordinator, Walnut Street Theatre
Amateur and professional rights:
7119 W Sunset Blvd #390
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Email: info@youthplays.com
Web: www.youthplays.com
About the Playwright: Jonathan Dorf has had his plays produced across the United States, as well as in several foreign countries, including stagings of his work by Walnut Street Theatre, Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, Ensemble Studio Theatre – LA and the Pittsburgh New Works Festival. Mr. Dorf is the co-chair of the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights, the former managing director of the Philadelphia Dramatists Center and a member of the Dramatists Guild of America. He has also written several produced short screenplays and a number of feature scripts.
In addition to writing for stage and screen, he serves as the resident playwriting expert for Final Draft: he created “Ask the Expert” Playwriting for their scriptwriting software and also writes a column about playwriting for their website. He is resident playwriting expert for The Writers Store, for whom he created Playwriting 101.com, and he also contributes regularly to their e-zine. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College with a degree in dramatic writing and literature and holds an MFA in playwriting from UCLA. He is available to playwrights and screenwriters as a script consultant.
From Shakespeare With Love? was commissioned and premiered (under the title Shakespeare in Love?) by the Walnut Street Theatre Outreach Program, Philadelphia.