Shakespeare in Hollywood
by Ken Ludwig

Characters: cast of 8 men and 4 women, optional extras for ensemble. Several of the characters are based on real people in 1930s Hollywood. Links and notes are included from Wikipedia for those characters.

Women -
  • Louella Parsons: Louella Parsons is a gossip columnist, who appears with several of the stars of the movie, and gets caught up in the action. "Parsons was especially known for her uncanny ability to scoop her competitors with the juiciest stories and for knowing many of the secrets of celebrities. Her judgments were considered the final word in many cases, and her disfavor was feared by many more than that of movie critics."
  • Lydia Lansing: Lydia is a "beautiful blond starlet with a whiny, showgirl voice." She is dating studio head, Jack Warner, and uses their relationship to convince him to produce the film of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" - and to let her star in the movie as Helena. Despite her 'dumb blond chorus girl' background, she is at heart a 'nice kid.'Jean Muir played Helena in Reinhart's original film.
  • Olivia Darnell: Olivia "has the sass, beauty, and natural charm of a heroine from the screwball comedies of the 1930s." She is appearing in her first big role as Hermia in the film. Olivia falls in love with Oberon during the filming. In Reinhart's film, the role of Hermia was played by Olivia de Havilland.
  • Puck: "This is the real Puck...that 'shrewd and knavish sprite' called Robin Goodfellow, the mischief-maker of the fairy world. Though Puck is a boy-man, he's played by an actress." Puck gets cast in the movie, as 'Puck.' And he is thrilled to be a real movie star. Puck returns to the fairy world to bring back the infamous magical love flower - which sets in motion many accidental events of the play.

Men - some actors will double, as indicated
  • Max Reinhart: Max is a "pixie-ish man in his 60s and he has a pronounced German accent." He is clever and determined, and manages to talk Jack Warner into making a film version of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." He also acts as a narrator for parts of the story.
  • Dick Powell [doubles]: is "a good-looking, boyish actor in his late 20s." Powell is cast in the movie as Lysander, opposite Olivia. Oberon becomes jealous when he learns that Powell has a secret crush on Olivia. Dick Powell starred in numerous movie musicals of the 30s and 40s.
  • Jack Warner: Jack is head of Warner Brothers studio production. He is a "natty dresser and tough as nails." But he has a soft spot for Lydia, and agrees to let her star in Reinhart's film.
  • Daryl [doubles]: mid to late 20s, Daryl is "known in the trade as a 'yes-man'" - he is Jack's assistant. Daryl is assigned to watch Lydia to make sure she doesn't get into trouble.
  • Oberon: "he has all the characteristics of the Oberon we know from Shakespeare. He's imperious, impatient and commanding. He has a child-like temper and there's a sense of whimsy about him. He's also extremely attractive." He falls in love with Olivia, and is angered when he discovers that Powell is in love with her, too.
  • Will Hayes [doubles]: is in his 50s, "full of bluster and vanity. He wields immense power in Hollywood and he knows it." Hays is the creator of the Production Code Administration - and no film can get made without his approval. There are scenes in this Shakespeare movie that he has serious problems with, and he is on set to see that the script is changed.
  • Joe E. Brown [doubles]: is "a good-natured fellow with a wide grin who always looks bemused and slightly baffled by life." He is cast as Francis Flute - who plays 'Thisbe' in the play-within-a-play. Brown is surprised to get cast in a Shakespeare movie, since he usually gets cast in baseball movies.
  • Jimmy Cagney [doubles]: "despite his image playing tough guys, he's very likeable." Cagney is cast in the movie as Bottom, the weaver - the 'ham' who plays 'Pyramus' in the play-within-a-play.
other characters doubling with the men as indicated:
  • Albert, Harry, and Sam Warner: Jack's other brothers running the studio with him, each of them has a special reason for thinking that Jack's plan to film "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a bad idea
  • Groucho Marx, Tarzan, a Cowboy: other actors wandering the Warner Brothers studio lot.