NEO Ensemble Theatre Presents SHAKESPEARE IN HOLLYWOOD

Neo Ensemble Theatre's acclaimed witty and quirky comedy "Shakespeare In Hollywood," directed by Joe Ochman, runs for a six-week run at Studio Stage in Hollywood through May 17. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, and winner of The Helen Hayes Award for Best New Play of the Year, the play takes place in 1934.

Produced by Loren Ledesma, James Geralden, Jessica Matthews and Keegan Winfield, the zany comedy also stars Loren Ledesma as Lydia, Will Ahrens as Jack Warner, Nick Yestremski as his assistant Daryl, Rachel Winfree as Louella Parsons, Colin Conrad as Dick Powell, Allen Barstow as Joe E. Brown, and Adam Ziv as James Cagney.

Show times: Fridays and Saturdays: 8 p.m.

Sundays: 5 p.m.

For more information and tickets: (424) 261-3493 or http://www.lastagetix.com/2015/NEOEnsembleTheatre/ShakespeareinHollywood

Famed fairies Oberon and Puck (Phil Pritchard and Maria Ashna) have magically materialized onto the Warner Bros. Hollywood lot, amid the set of heavily accented director Max Reinhardt's (David St. James) film production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Soon, the oddball pair falls for glitzy, glammy show biz. This is a handy happenstance, since, having lost his two leads, Reinhardt casts the otherworldly duo as themselves. But things begin to unravel as Oberon falls hopelessly for Olivia (Natalie Beisner), the actress playing Hermia, and prudish Will Hays (Jerry Weil), creator of the rigid Hays Code, shows up to vehemently protest Reinhardt's sexy script. To keep Hays at bay, Oberon sends Puck to fetch a flower that causes its recipient to madly dote upon the next live creature he or she sees.

Now, Ludwig out-Shakespeares Shakespeare as the flower inspires all kinds of unintentional couplings. Set against the backdrop of a backdrop, the story heads for raucous results as floral follies, loopy love triangles, blonde bombshells, movie moguls and arrogant asses prove - hilariously - that movies are magic and love reigns supreme.

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