THE YELLOW STOCKING PLAY - A new musical

by D.W. Gregory

Book by D.W. Gregory. Lyrics by Sarah Knapp. Music by Steven M. Alper

The Bard meets the Marx Brothers in the fast-paced musical comedy inspired by Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Think Something Rotten meets The Play That Goes Wrong.

A 17th Century Shakespeare troupe on a disastrous tour of the Continent loses members one by one to food poisoning, drowning, crocodiles and avalanches--until only four of them...

Book by D.W. Gregory. Lyrics by Sarah Knapp. Music by Steven M. Alper

The Bard meets the Marx Brothers in the fast-paced musical comedy inspired by Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Think Something Rotten meets The Play That Goes Wrong.

A 17th Century Shakespeare troupe on a disastrous tour of the Continent loses members one by one to food poisoning, drowning, crocodiles and avalanches--until only four of them remain. When they land in the backwaters of Romania disaster strikes again! Their ingénue elopes with the innkeeper in town, leaving a company of three to pull off the most frantic play in the repertoire. But her lover, Gropio, is too heart-broken to go on, while her confidante, Tremolo, just refuses to kiss a man. It falls to Simpatica, the leading lady, to recast and revise on the fly. Her biggest challenge is how to keep the backstage drama from spoiling the onstage comedy. But the show must go on. Even if you can't recognize it.

read more
  • Inquire About Rights
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Library

THE YELLOW STOCKING PLAY - A new musical

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear: THE YELLOW STOCKING PLAY - A new musical by D.W. Gregory
    “

    Will the show go on with all the turmoil that arises for this troupe? Entertaining and well done!

    Will the show go on with all the turmoil that arises for this troupe? Entertaining and well done!

    ”
The play is conceived for three actors doubling into 12 roles, including an actor-musician who will play a guitar and possibly other instruments. The actors will be supported by one to three musicians, for a company of four to six.

THE COMPANY:
GROPIO, a self-absorbed actor in a broken-down traveling troupe.
TREMOLO, his jumpy fellow cast member
SIMPATICA, the last remaining female member, struggling to hold it all together.

THEIR CHARACTERS:
ORSINO, a lovesick duke
VIOLA, survivor of a shipwreck, later disguised as Cesario, a servant to Orsino
LADY OLIVIA, in mourning for her lost brother
FESTE, a clown, servant to Lady Olivia
MALVOLIO, her trusted steward
SIR TOBY BELCH, her uncle, uncouth of manner and feeling
MARIA, her maidservant, enemy to Malvolio
SEBASTIAN, Viola’s lost brother
A SEA CAPTAIN

In addition, the off-stage voices of a house manager and Flavia, a former company member, likely recorded.

The doubling is as follows:

GROPIO (M): Orsino/Malvolio/Maria
TREMOLO (M): Feste/Sea Captain/Olivia
SIMPATICA (F): Viola(Cesario)/Toby Belch/Sebastian

Development History

  • Reading, The York Theater, 2025
  • Reading, Create Theater and Tequila Talking Theatrical, 2023
  • Reading, Industry, 2016

Awards

  • Best Actress in a Musical (Alyse Alan Louis)
    CreateTheater New Works Festival
    Winner
    2023
  • Best Actor in a Musical (Edward Watts)
    CreateTheater New Works Festival
    Winner
    2023
  • Best Musical
    CreateTheater New Works Festival
    Winner
    2023
  • Best Book of a Musical
    CreateTheater New Works Festival
    Winner
    2023