By Alex Mills | Directed by Tom Costello
August 28–September 4, 2010
Theater for the New City, 155 1st Ave, New York, NY
Part of the 2010 Dream Up Festival

In Shakespeare the Dead the first day on set of Hollywood’s newest film version of Macbeth seems promising, with a hot young star as the title role. The producer publicly vows to cast aside the superstitions commonly associated with Shakespeare’s darkest tragedy. But when a mysterious stranger assumes control and changes the project entirely, things get frighteningly out of hand. Alex Mills’ horror-movie-within-a-play is dark, creepy, and wickedly funny.

“It luxuriates in its own little world, which seems to occur at an intersection of Kafkaesque paranoia, old-movie whimsy (and the best satires of it), and just a smidgen of seriousness and believability…

Humor seems to come from out of nowhere. A shriek, a mumble, a single mundane line suddenly seem funny from timing and context… Shakespeare the Dead is a hell of a lot of fun.”
-Clinton Orman, nytheatre.com

“AMAZING! What a wild ride. Superb artistry all around. I encourage everyone to go. Hilarious, creepy, poignant–it’s all in there and expertly presented…This production needs to go places…”
-Cobina Gillitt, Professor, New York University, Tisch

“Alex Mills’ beguiling presence onstage and mental presence in the writing is a world that you could live in forever…Go see it. Really, Alex Mills is one of the playwrights that you’ll hear from again, a young Pinter with a broader sense of humor. You’ll be rewarded for your time”
-Guy Yedwab, Culture Future

Featuring: Willy Appelman, Seth Clayton, Kate Eastman, Jessica Frey, Daniel Johnsen, Alex Mills, Michael Piazza, Mike Steinmetz, and Gil Zabarsky

Produced by Meagan Kensil
Assistant Directed by Kellie Mcleary
Stage Managed by Allison Smith
Set and Lighting Design by Eric Southern
Sound Design by Eric J. Krueger
Costume Design by Zealan Salemi
Prop Design by Jenny Donheiser and Nicole Spiezio
Dialect Coached by Charley Layton
Photography by Suzi Sadler