2008–09 season > You, Nero

You, Nero

written by amy freed
directed by sharon ott
co-produced with south coast repertory
main season | thrust stage
may 15–june 28, 2009
world premiere production

the play

In a new comedy from local writer Amy Freed, not only does Nero fiddle while Rome burns, he fills the Colosseum with an incendiary mix of sex and decadence. The egotistical emperor commands a washed-up scribe to create an extravagant show which flatters his regime. But to stage the script he must survive the real spectacle at the palace, where his mother, his mistress and an entourage of eunuchs play an elaborate game of deceit and seduction. Sharon Ott directs this smart and sassy show, as beloved actor Danny Scheie portrays the preposterous king. In You, Nero, Freed lets loose the tigers on a crumbling empire obsessed with shallow celebrities, violent sports and sensational entertainment. When Rome unravels like its reality TV, everyone wants to get in the emperor’s new clothes.

the players

Amy Freed, an artist-in-residence at Stanford University, has delighted local audiences with clever comedies like The Beard of Avon and Restoration Comedy. Her script Freedomland was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

In her 13 years as artistic director of Berkeley Rep, Sharon Ott led the company to new artistic heights, national prestige and a well-deserved Tony Award. During her tenure, she directed memorable productions of Heartbreak House, Twelfth Night, Twilight: Los Angeles 1992, The Woman Warrior and Yankee Dawg You Die.

the buzz

“Gloriously funny…I’m tempted to quote at length, but the play’s delirious charm would surely fizzle in sober newsprint. For evidence of its irresistible appeal I’ll just report that the audience staggered out into the sunny spring afternoon with stomachs sore from laughter, and that I await a New York production with unusual relish.”—New York Times

“Freed has a striking comic voice that is dark but exhilarating and honest…she shows a hunger for drama and a divine spark of wit [with] a gift for antic detail.”—Los Angeles Times

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