CVLT’s ‘Shakespeare In Hollywood” is the warm cure for winter

Baby, its cold outside...no really...we are talking single digits cold so what could possibly entice us to leave our snug warm homes to travel the frozen roads of Ohio? Well...theater of course. It is a proven fact that laughter helps us to get warm and stay warm. A good sustained guffaw does wonders to bring heat to our cold bones and as an added benefit helps dispel the winter blahs.

Chagrin Valley Little Theatre is currently offering Ken Ludwig’s “Shakespeare In Hollywood” and while not one of Ken’s more madcap works does offer a nice break from what seems to be a never ending winter.

Director Max Reinhardt (Michael J. Rogan) has escaped NAZI Germany and ended up in Hollywood with a dream. He wants to direct Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” as an epic Hollywood extravaganza with top stars in the lead roles. All he has to do is convince Jack Warner and his brothers at Warner Brothers Studios that the movie is a viable risk even though “the brothers W” think that Shakespeare is box office poison. Max is interviewed by gossip columnist Louella Parsons (Valerie Deorsen) who seems more interested in snagging quotes from passing “A-lister’s” then hearing about censorship and violence that is sweeping 1934’s Europe.

It is only when Jack’s former chorus girl Lydia Lansing (Amara Alberto) threatens to withhold affection that he gives the project a green light. The process of casting is initiated and soon Jimmy Cagney (Valerie Doersen), Dick Powell (Bradford Eason), Joe E. Brown (Bryan Rowe) and Hollywood newcomer Olivia Darnell (Jackie Hufstetler) in her first major role arrive to begin filming. In order to keep an eye on his girl friend, Lydia, Jack elevates his manservant, Daryl (Carsyn Avegno) to cameraman. Into this mix, Oberon (Stephen Noreck) and his jester, Puck (Angela Rich), magically appear (due to an error by Puck) and are caught up in the craziness that is Depression Era Hollywood.

Meanwhile, Will Hayes (Kevin Derrick) from the Motion Picture Production Code Office has arrived to stick his censoring nose into everyone’s business. Oberon falls heavily for Olivia while Puck “goes Hollywood” chasing fame, glamour, women, money and sunglasses. Oberon hatches a plan to capture Olivia’s heart by having Puck administer pansy juice to his love’s eyes which will have Olivia fall in love with the first person she sees. Unfortunately, the flower is passed around like a bag of ecstasy at a Rave and soon love runs wild with no concern for gender or common sense for that matter.

So how does this production stack up? It is a bit problematic, especially with the 50 minute long first act. Ken Ludwig uses the time to “set up” the situations waiting until well into the second act to launch into the madcap portion of the show. This is a problem that has plagued every single company that has attempted to pull off this production.

In some cases the casting seemed to have been accomplished by pulling names out of a hat and assigning them to various characters with little regard to reality. On the bright side there are some stellar moments by actors who manage to punch above their fighting weight. Stephen Noreck as Oberon is superb giving the role the requisite sternness while maintaining the “fish out of water” vibe of a stranger in a strange land. Kevin Derrick as Will Hays carries the entire second act with his consummate portrayal of Hollywood's most hated man. His portrayal goes beyond the script and is worth the price of the ticket. Jackie Hufstetler as Olivia Darnell brings a sweetness to the role without overdoing it. She gives a well balance performance.

The set design by Mark Kobak is functional but sparse. Perhaps the addition of some greenery to give a forest glen vibe would have helped. Marcus Dana’s lighting design is crisp and airy and Brandon Larson’s sound design was sufficient for a theater of that size. Marina Arko’s costume design works well with the time period. The show is aptly directed by Martin Friedman.

The “BIG STORM” is not arriving until early Sunday morning so I would hop on a ticket or three for tonight’s 7:30 p.m. performance in spite of the cold. If a good laugh is what you need to warm up then this show is a good bet (especially in the second act).

Chagrin Valley Little Theatre’s production of Ken Ludwig’s “Shakespeare In Hollywood” will be on stage at 40 River Street in Chagrin Falls through February 8, 2026. For more information and tickets go to https://www.cvlt.org or call (440) 247-8955.