cover art by Phineas X Jones
"What I think is so wonderful about KING
PHYCUS is not only that it’s a full-length play in iambic pentameter that refers
to absolutely every Shakespeare play down to TITUS ANDRONICUS, but that it
demonstrates that Shakespeare is a lot clearer, a lot funnier, a lot more alive
than lots of people are taught. This is not theater that is good for you; this
is theater that is hilariously funny. It is spectacularly good!"
Kelly Keiman, W B E Z Radio
"Rarely does one encounter a Bard goof as solidly
constructed as Willmorth’s remix or as stylishly produced. KING PHYCUS is smart
enough in its construction to please Shakespeare scholars, with the right kind
of off-kilter, whimsical vulgarity to appease [its] fan base … but it’s
Willmorth’s sharp-edged quasi-iambic wordplay that shines brightest; he’s
remarkably adept at threading in modern pop-culture allusions that would seem
hoary if not for the craft with which he deploys them."
Kris Vire, Time Out Chicago
"A key test of any Shakespearean spoof is how
much it gratifies not just fans of the Bard but those who might find the guy a
tad overrated as well. Playwright Tom Willmorth achieves a nice balance… and
tempers his nerdier instincts with a hefty dose of ridiculousness and
double-entendres."
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune
"A hilarious romp through Elizabethan
England, complete with blinded kings, star-crossed lovers, and vengeful ghosts.
Filled with singing, dancing, political humor, and Shakespearean wordplay, the
clever pastiche…is a crowd pleaser."
Marissa Oberlander, Chicago Reader
first presented by the Strange Tree Group and The Lord Chamberlain's Men, Chicago
4 M 2 F
I S B N 978-0-88145-493-2
$14.95