playbill vip

Picture it: it's 1995, a young Mrs. Rosenbloom was sitting in her freshman honor's English class, in an outfit oddly similar to what students are wearing now, with a copy of Romeo & Juliet on her desk, beyond excited (yes, I've always been this nerdy) to start reading this classic. My mom had been in Shakespeare plays when she was younger, and there was this "new take" on the classic story coming to the big screen starring personal favorites Clare Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio. And then I opened the book. I was a good reader; great, even. I'd been reading since I was about 4 years old. 

I had no idea what the text was talking about. None. I saw the words. I knew the words meant something. What the heck was a Mercutio? "Wherefore" did not mean where, but rather why? WHAT?! As time went on, I slowly learned to decipher what the words meant, learned how to read and write in Iambic pentameter, how to write a sonnet with a rhyming couplet... I'll stop with the traumatizing high school flashback now. 

When I came across the script for I Hate Shakespeare, I was immediately intrigued. It was a play within a play, with just enough authentic Shakespeare to be a challenge, but also enough modern storytelling to keep it interesting. These amazing actors not only rose to the challenge, but went above and beyond to create this mixed-up Shakespearean/Modern/Theater/Real World to perform.

Since things are a lot more "normal" than they were for our performance last year (Scenes From A Quarantine, anyone?) we were all thrilled to get back on stage and perform for a real, live, in person audience. These incredible actors rose to the challenge of learning a new way of speaking, being zombies, wearing period costumes, embracing cheesy talk shows, and SO many more things. I couldn't be any prouder of them! 

We hope you love the show, and that none of you are unhappy people in the audience. We also truly hope that you leave here no longer in the I Hate Shakespeare camp!