The Acting Company Brings Shakespeare to Life with a Playful Twist
Apr 14, 2025 11:03AM ● By Lauren Coats
YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - This spring, The Acting Company in Yuba City invites you to join the party with Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare!, an original production written and directed by local artists Matt and Lauren Coats. The show runs from March 28 through April 20, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Matt and Lauren are familiar faces in the local theater community, but they’ve also spent the last decade touring Renaissance faires across the West Coast with their two-person show — delivering 30-minute whirlwind Shakespeare performances filled with humor, improvisation, and audience participation. Now, they’ve taken that format and expanded it into a full-scale stage production with a cast of six and a run time of approximately an hour and a half, including a 15-minute intermission.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare! is exactly what it sounds like: a lively birthday party for the Bard. But don’t expect stiff recitations or serious lectures. This show feels more like what you’d get if the Muppets took on Shakespeare — playful, unpredictable, and delightfully chaotic. The show blends iconic scenes and famous lines with off-the-cuff humor, modern touches, and plenty of opportunities for the audience to join in on the fun. Whether it’s a quick-witted aside, a playful nudge to the audience, or an unexpected twist in a familiar monologue, the show keeps everyone laughing and engaged from start to finish.
From left to right: Matt Coats, B. Little, Camari Domingue, Lauren Coats, Meg Shearer, and Sue Justus. Photo by DJ Justus
“This isn’t about putting Shakespeare on a pedestal,” says Matt Coats. “It’s about celebrating his brilliance with joy and laughter. Shakespeare wrote for everyone — his plays were full of jokes, clever wordplay, and moments designed to surprise and delight his audiences. We wanted to capture that same spirit, where anything can happen, and everyone feels like they’re part of the show.”
The expanded cast brings new energy and variety to the production, allowing for larger scenes, more dynamic interactions, and fresh interpretations of beloved moments. From the chaos of mistaken identities to the magic of Shakespeare’s language, the show is packed with clever moments and unexpected laughs.
General admission tickets are $20, with tickets available through The Acting Company box office, open Monday through Friday from noon to 2 PM. Reservations can also be made by calling 530-751-1100 or visiting ActingCompany.org.
If you love Shakespeare — or even if you think you don’t — this show promises to make you smile. Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare! is a fast-paced, playful tribute that reminds us why his work has endured for centuries: it’s smart, it’s human, and it’s a lot of fun.
Meg Shearer and B. Little. Photo by DJ Justus
