Real-Life Couple To Star In Shakespeare Play

BIRMINGHAM, MI — Birmingham Village Players will feature a real-life husband and wife in the romantic comedy "Shakespeare in Love" throughout September at the Village Players playhouse in Birmingham.

Bloomfield Hills couple, Patrick and Ashley Lane will star as Will and Viola, respectfully in the romantic period comedy-drama based on the Academy Award motion picture.

"It’s an incredible opportunity to be in this show with my favorite leading lady," Patrick said. "Shakespeare was such an important piece of our acting training - it’s a joy and a challenge to be diving back into that world now."

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"Shakespeare in Love" showcases the romantic story of how Viola de Lesseps became the true inspiration behind William Shakespeare's greatest work: Romeo and Juliet. The story features romantic comedy everyone is sure to enjoy.

"The character of Viola has been a dream role of mine for a while. I love her tenacity and her courage. I love that I get to speak both modern text and Shakespeare’s poetry in this play. It really embodies all of my favorite parts of acting! And now I get to play opposite my husband doing some of my favorite lines from Shakespeare- how exciting! A true dream come true for an actor." Ashley said.

The play is directed by veteran Village Players member Holly Conroy from Royal Oak, who said, "I fell in love with Shakespeare in Love when I saw it performed at the Stratford Festival 2016; I felt that this new play was right up my alley! It has a bit of Shakespearian dialog, of course, but it's also funny and romantic and presents the famous bard as very human...just an ordinary guy."

The play runs approximately two and half hours with a 15 minute intermission, and will go from Sept. 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 and 25 at 8 p.m. as well as Sept. 12, 19 and 26 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased on their website or by calling their box office at 248-644-2075.

Birmingham Village Players is a local nonprofit on Woodward Ave. in Birmingham and has been presenting high quality dramatic, comedic and musical productions since 1926.