<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
</head>
<body>
<div class="moz-forward-container">
<div dir="ltr">
<p>Chagrin Valley Little Theatre • Phone: (440) 247-8955 •
Email: <a href="mailto:cvlt@cvlt.org" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">cvlt@cvlt.org</a> • Website: <a
href="http://www.cvlt.org/" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">www.cvlt.org</a></p>
<hr>
<p><b><font size="4">Mistaken Identities & Movie Moguls: Ken
Ludwig's "Shakespeare in Hollywood" at CVLT Jan 23 - Feb 8</font></b></p>
<p>CHAGRIN FALLS, OH – Chagrin Valley Little Theatre (CVLT)
invites audiences to a rollicking, Tinseltown romp with its
upcoming production of Ken Ludwig’s <i>Shakespeare in
Hollywood</i>. This award-winning comedy, commissioned by
the Royal Shakespeare Company and winner of the Helen Hayes
Award for Best New Play, brings the "mischievous magic of
moviedom" to life on the CVLT stage from January 23 through
February 8, 2026. Performances will be Fridays &
Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays Feb. 1 & 8 at 2 PM.<br>
<br>
It is 1934 and Hollywood is buzzing with the filming of an
epic movie version of Shakespeare’s <i>A Midsummer Night’s
Dream</i>. When the legendary director Max Reinhardt (played
by Michael Rogan) finds himself in a bind, Shakespeare’s most
famous fairies, Oberon (Stephen Noreck) and Puck (Angela
Rich), magically materialize on the Warner Bros. lot.
Instantly smitten by the glitz and glamour of show business,
the two are ushered onto the silver screen to play themselves,
blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.</p>
<p>Ludwig's comedy takes its cues from the chaos that plagued
Reinhardt's real-life movie adaptation. Mickey Rooney, who
played Puck, broke his leg while tobogganing, requiring the
strategic use of foliage and holes in the floor to hide his
cast. Dick Powell felt miscast as 'Lysander' but was refused
permission to leave the project, and Olivia de Havilland was
given her film debut because the original 'Hermia' actress
fell ill. Further complicating matters, Max Reinhardt himself
had recently fled to the US from Austria and only spoke
German, directing through an interpreter. Upon release, the
film suffered a record-setting 2,971 cinema cancellations due
to bungled booking procedures and was ultimately banned in
Nazi Germany because the director and soundtrack composers
were Jewish.<br>
<br>
CVLT's stage production, directed by Martin Friedman and
produced by Cindee Catalano and Nancy Rogoff, sets Ludwig's
hilarious whirlwind of mistaken identities and theatrical
chaos against this historical backdrop. With the help of a
feisty magical flower, blonde bombshells and movie moguls are
tossed into loopy love triangles with raucous results.<br>
<br>
The production features a vibrant cast of classic Hollywood
personalities, including Chris DiMichele as the iconic movie
mogul Jack Warner, Carsyn Avegno as his "yes-man" Daryl, Amara
Alberto as the ambitious starlet Lydia Lansing, Jackie
Hufstetler as Olivia Darnell, Valerie Doersen in the dual
roles of gossip columnist Louella Parsons and star Jimmy
Cagney, Bradford Eason and Bryan Rowe as actors Dick Powell
and Joe E. Brown, and Kevin Derrick as the legendary censor
Will Hays.</p>
<p>The creative team bringing the Golden Age of Hollywood to the
stage includes Stage Manager Emily Lynch, Costumer Marina
Arko, Set Designer Mark Kobak, Light Designer Marcus Dana, and
Sound Designer Steve M. Savanyu.<br>
</p>
<p>TICKETS: $24 general admission, $21 seniors, students,
military. Group discounts available. Tickets are on sale at
CVLT.org or by phone at (440) 247-8955 (Tuesday-Friday, 1-6
PM). The Box Office opens two hours before all performances.
Early arrival is recommended. Questions? Email <a
href="mailto:BoxOffice@CVLT.org" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">BoxOffice@CVLT.org</a><br>
<br>
Don’t miss this "fast, funny, entertaining night" that left
critics at The Wall Street Journal "smiling... all the way
home". <i>Shakespeare in Hollywood</i> is a dazzling comedy
that pays a loving homage to both the Bard and the Golden Age
of cinema.</p>
<p>“Ken Ludwig’s Shakespeare in Hollywood” is presented by
arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel
French, Inc. <a href="http://www.concordtheatricals.com/"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">www.concordtheatricals.com</a></p>
<p>ABOUT CHAGRIN VALLEY LITTLE THEATRE:<br>
<br>
Chagrin Valley Little Theatre, now in its 96th Season, is a
501(c)(3) nonprofit funded through individual and corporate
contributions. Our programming is made possible in part by the
citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga County Arts and
Culture and by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio
Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state
agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to
strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and
economically.<br>
</p>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>