Long Beach theatre company, Olio Theatre Works presents the Los Angeles Premiere of “Willy’s Lil Virgin Queen”, a mad-cap, comic romp through the ages as Willy Shakespeare teaches a 20th century “lil virgin” how to skip the prince and be the queen she was always meant to be. Playing five performances as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival from June 4th to June 24th at Asylum @Studio C – 6448 Santa Monica Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90038.
Told through monologue, historical anecdotes and a little creative conjecture, award-winning actress/playwright Terra Taylor Knudson weaves Shakespeare’s works into her own coming-of-age story as she illustrates the many ways that the Bard shaped her life and used his words to give her a voice.
From the first moment she was introduced to Shakespeare one fateful night under the stars of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Terra has been devoted to him. As the longest love affair of her life, “Willy” has influenced every aspect of her life from her first love; (“Hamlet in a red Chevy convertible with a white top and grey interior”), to her first time away from home; (“If Viola can survive a shipwreck, I can survive Kenmore Square!”). From her first audition; (“I was a Joan of Arc facing the weasel Dauphin but I was less sure how to flatter my king.”), to the day she met her hero; (“She was an Iambic Icon! Naturally, I had no idea who she was.”), Terra demonstrates the essential and often amusing ways that the Bard has carried her through life.
But, “Willy’s Lil Virgin Queen” is more than just Folio fan fiction. It also explores the realities of extreme depression, bullying and trauma often experienced by young people. By filtering the darker aspects of her life through the lens of some of Shakespeare’s most complex and troubled characters, Terra along with award-winning director Jessica Lynn Johnson, connects Shakespeare’s characters with real-life circumstances, providing an opportunity to see them in a new, more accessible way.
“Willy’s Lil Virgin Queen” joyfully invites all audiences from scholar to newbie a rare peek inside the depths of Terra’s romantic obsession with Shakespeare, and proves that neither time nor mortality can stand in the way of true love.
“Willy’s Lil Virgin Queen” will be presented as part of the 2017 Hollywood Fringe Festival on:
June 4th at 8:30pm
June 10th at 7:00pm
June 17th at 11:30am
June 21st at 8:30pm
June 24th at 5:30pm
And is produced by Olio Theatre Works, Inc. Developed and Directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson. Written and Performed by Terra Taylor Knudson
Run time: 75 mins
Audience: Appropriate for ages 12+
Tickets: Special Pay What You Can Preview on June 4th. All other shows: $15. Discounts available. Press comps available upon request.
For Tickets and More Information: http://hff17.com/3458
Follow “Willy’s Lil Virgin Queen” on:
Twitter: @TTKOTW
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willyslilvirginqueen/
Website: www.oliotheatreworks.org
