Shakespeare's Skull

by Rich Rubin

The year, 1794; the place, London.
Frank Chambers is a young physician with a dwindling income and a penchant for gambling. Horace Walpole is a celebrated British aristocrat who believes genius is reflected by the shape of our skulls. Fate brings Frank and Horace together for a singular purpose: To steal the skull of the greatest literary genius of all time. Horace is hoping to prove his theory, while Frank is...

The year, 1794; the place, London.
Frank Chambers is a young physician with a dwindling income and a penchant for gambling. Horace Walpole is a celebrated British aristocrat who believes genius is reflected by the shape of our skulls. Fate brings Frank and Horace together for a singular purpose: To steal the skull of the greatest literary genius of all time. Horace is hoping to prove his theory, while Frank is hoping for a few extra coins in his pocket. Will their hopes be realized or will unforeseen events flip them upside down?
SHAKESPEARE'S SKULL is a comedy based on a legend – a legend that may be closer to truth than to fiction.

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Shakespeare's Skull

Recommended by

  • Josie Seid: Shakespeare's Skull

    The most hilarious and intelligent play to come along in a while! It is no easy feat to bring an audience to tears with laughter one moment and have them holding their breath waiting to see how these delightfully unlucky characters will wiggle out of the predicaments they get themselves into the next but Rich Rubin does it effortlessly and with a mastery of the style of Shakespeare himself.

    The most hilarious and intelligent play to come along in a while! It is no easy feat to bring an audience to tears with laughter one moment and have them holding their breath waiting to see how these delightfully unlucky characters will wiggle out of the predicaments they get themselves into the next but Rich Rubin does it effortlessly and with a mastery of the style of Shakespeare himself.

  • Sara Jean Accuardi: Shakespeare's Skull

    This play is crowd-pleaser if ever there was one. I attended a reading that had the audience-- a very large crowd composed of people from all walks of life-- laughing so much they were wiping tears away and bursting into random applause. It's pure fun and a surefire slam-dunk for any theatre company looking to simply give their audience a good time.

    This play is crowd-pleaser if ever there was one. I attended a reading that had the audience-- a very large crowd composed of people from all walks of life-- laughing so much they were wiping tears away and bursting into random applause. It's pure fun and a surefire slam-dunk for any theatre company looking to simply give their audience a good time.

  • Lolly Ward: Shakespeare's Skull

    Can you tell genius from just a skull? What would it feel like -- and inspire in you -- to hold one yourself? This play is a good time from start to finish, AND you get a dash of history to boot. But my very favorite lines are the celebration of feminism through pigeons. A fun, smart farce.

    Can you tell genius from just a skull? What would it feel like -- and inspire in you -- to hold one yourself? This play is a good time from start to finish, AND you get a dash of history to boot. But my very favorite lines are the celebration of feminism through pigeons. A fun, smart farce.

View all 4 recommendations

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization 21ten Theatre (Portland, OR), Year 2024
  • Type Reading, Organization Shawnee Playhouse (Shawnee on Delaware, PA), Year 2020
  • Type Reading, Organization Portland Civic Theatre Guild/Sanctuary Theatre (Portland, OR), Year 2019
  • Type Reading, Organization Podcast, Dean Productions (Los Angeles, CA), 2021,
  • Type Reading, Organization Readers Theatre Gresham (Gresham, OR), 2025,

Awards

  • Judith Royer/ATHE Excellence in Playwriting Award
    Finalist
    2020
  • 2019 B Street Theatre New Comedies Festival (Sacramento, CA)
    Semi-Finalist
  • 2019 Portland Civic Theatre Guild New Play Award
    Winner