Shakespeare Royal Oak To Present Virtual Play Reading Premiere HOPE CANYON

On Saturday, February 27 Shakespeare Royal Oak will host a virtual play reading of the new original comedy Hope Canyon by Edward Nahhat. Tickets for this FREE event with a limited number available now at shakespeareroyaloak.com.

All attendees will be invited to join the professional cast and playwright immediately after the reading for a live conversation.

Before he was a well-known area lawyer and long before he founded Shakespeare Royal Oak, Royal Oak native Edward Nahhat (BFA Wayne State 1983) was an Equity actor, an Off-Broadway produced playwright, and a director of his alma matter Royal Oak High School Drama Club. When Covid-19 brought his non-lawyer activites to a halt, Nahhat decided to finish writing the play he'd been drafting for a decade, Hope Canyon.

Hope Canyon is the uplifting story of a struggling local theatre company and its artists as they present their last tragedy, Hope Canyon, so poorly that it turns into a smash comedy. With his first draft complete, Nahhat made an arrangement with Actors' Equity Association and Water Works Theatre Company's veteran actors to present an on-line reading and talk-back.

"It's time to hear Hope Canyon come to life through this talented cast," states Ed. "With feedback from them and the participating audience, we can continue refining the work toward a full staged production."

The reading will feature Sandy Birch (AEA), Meredith Deighton, Travis Reiff, John Lepard (AEA), and Michael Brian Ogden (AEA), with stage direction provided by Barton Bund. (AEA denotes a member of Actors' Equity Association.)

Tickets for this virtual play reading are FREE with a limited number available by registering online at shakespeareroyaloak.com. Once registered, ticket holders will receive a link to view the play reading premiere at 7:00pm on Saturday, February 27 and an invite to join the cast, playwright Edward Nahhat, and Shakespeare Royal Oak Artistic Director Sara Cathryn Wolf for a talk-back conversation immediately following the presentation. Ticket holders will have the ability to watch the play reading as an encore presentation anytime February 28 - March 8.

Lily's Seafood in Royal Oak has partnered with Shakespeare Royal Oak to offer viewers a one-night-only special themed cocktail named Blazing Saddles, and a discount on their great menu for carryout. About Shakespeare Royal Oak Since 2001 Water Works Theatre Company has presented Shakespeare Royal Oak and other award-winning productions. Shakespeare Royal Oak enhances the quality of life in the community by offering Michigan's premier outdoor professional Shakespeare event in Royal Oak's Starr Jaycee Park. The company provides a place to call home for local professional actors, designers, directors, teachers, and other artists in a dynamic collaboration with skilled volunteers and other community supporters. Learn more at: www.shakespeareroyaloak.com

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