Chagrin Valley Little Theatre • Phone: (440) 247-8955 • Email: cvlt@cvlt.org • Website: www.cvlt.org <http://www.cvlt.org/> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Mistaken Identities & Movie Moguls: Ken Ludwig's "Shakespeare in Hollywood" at CVLT Jan 23 - Feb 8* CHAGRIN FALLS, OH – Chagrin Valley Little Theatre (CVLT) invites audiences to a rollicking, Tinseltown romp with its upcoming production of Ken Ludwig’s /Shakespeare in Hollywood/. 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. It is 1934 and Hollywood is buzzing with the filming of an epic movie version of Shakespeare’s /A Midsummer Night’s Dream/. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 BoxOffice@CVLT.org Don’t miss this "fast, funny, entertaining night" that left critics at The Wall Street Journal "smiling... all the way home". /Shakespeare in Hollywood/ is a dazzling comedy that pays a loving homage to both the Bard and the Golden Age of cinema. “Ken Ludwig’s Shakespeare in Hollywood” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com <http://www.concordtheatricals.com/> ABOUT CHAGRIN VALLEY LITTLE THEATRE: 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.