SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE is Now a Play and Will Make Its St. Louis Debut August 29th – September 15th – From Insight Theatre

By Tom Stockman | August 20, 2019

Remember back in 1998 when SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE rode the momentum to a Best-picture Oscar win? (everyone thought SAVING PRIVATE RYAN was a shoe-in) It won 6 other Awards that night including ‘Best Actress’ for Gwyneth Paltrow and ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for Judy Dench. Now the film has become a play and it will be staged in St. Louis for the first time. Don’t miss Insight Theatre’s stage production of  SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE directed by the talented Suki Peters with Musical Direction by Catherine Kopff. It’s at The Grandel Theater (3610 Grandel Square, St. Louis, MO 63103) August 29th through September 15th. Tickets can be purchased HERE. A Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE

Let’s say William Shakespeare knew how to time travel. Let’s say he came to 2019, went to the Grandel Theater in St. Louis and saw Insight Theater’s stage production of Shakespeare in Love. Do you think he would disapprove? I believe he would be quite enchanted with all the comedy, romance, love, drama, and a bit with a dog unfolding on stage.

It’s the late 1500s. Young playwright Will Shakespeare (Aaron Dodd) works in the shadow of the brilliant Christopher Marlowe (Spencer Sickman ) and he’s currently suffering from writer’s block. He simply can’t find the inspiration for his new play, “Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter”. He can’t seem to fix whatever it is that’s wrong. What’s missing is love of course, and Will finds it when he accidentally meets the lovely Viola De Lesseps (Gwen Wotawa), a rich man’s daughter who is set to marry an unpleasant nobleman. Viola becomes Will’s muse and the play virtually writes itself (although the pirate motif fades away), as Will’s theater company begins rehearsal. But there’s trouble ahead. Women were usually not allowed on stage at this time, but Viola pretends to be a man and lands the part of Romeo in the play; only Will knows the truth. Also, the star-struck lovers’ affair goes against Queen Elizabeth’s (Wendy Greenwood) wishes.

As Orson Welles said: “A good cast is worth repeating!” (and I’ve heard great things about Annie the Dog!)

Aaron Dodd as William Shakespeare

Gwen Wotawa* as Viola DeLesseps

Joneal Joplin* as Mister Fennyman

Whit Reichert* as Mister Henslowe

Spencer Sickman as Kit Marlowe

Carl Overly as Burbage

Michelle Hand as Nurse

Wendy Greenwood as Queen Elizabeth

Shane Signorino as Ned Alleyn

Ted Drury as Wessex

Robert Ashton as Tilney

Ryan Lawson-Maeske as Sam

Ruth Ezell as Mistress Quickly

Rachel Bailey as Kate

Mara Bollini as Molly

Anthony Winniger as Frees

Tyler Woods as Lambert

Chuck Brinkley as Ralph

Abraham Shaw as Nol

Joseph Garner as Peter

Riley James as Webster

John Foughty as Wabash

Kurt Knoedelseder as Sir Robert De Lesseps

Tommy Nolan as Lady De Lesseps

Herman Schermer as The Dog Trainer

* denotes a member of AEA

..,and introducing Annie as Spot the Dog