Shakespeare of Hollywood on Board

Each summer the folks at the Vineyard Playhouse host a series they call Monday Night Specials. This summer’s series began last Monday and runs through the summer to August 29. The idea is simple. Host one-night-only readings of plays. If you’ve never been to a reading, the experience is well worth it.

A reading is essentially a group of actors reading their parts with the script in hand but without dressing the part nor blocking out the staging. If that seems, well, not quite up to your accustomed theatre experience, fear not. The scene may be different but it is, on many levels, even more rewarding. It is a chance to peek behind the curtain of creativity and witness actors just beginning to discover their roles and motivations. It is a chance to see the art of making art.

The next Monday night special takes place on July 25 and features a reading of The Screenwriter’s Daughter, a play by Larry Mollin and based on the real and imagined life of Ben Hecht and his daughter, Jenny. Mr. Hecht was a master screenwriter, often referred to as the Shakespeare of Hollywood. During his career he penned such classics as The Front Page, Some Like It Hot, Gone with the Wind, Gunga Din, Wuthering Heights, A Farewell to Arms, and many, many more.

All Monday night specials are held at the Vineyard Playhouse located at 24 Church street in downtown Vineyard and are sponsored in part by the Liman Foundation. The curtain goes up at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20.

For more information about the entire list of readings and to purchase tickets, call 508-696-6300 or visit vineyardplayhouse.org.