Hell: Paradise Found
Play Description
Recently deceased lawyer and all-around schlemiel Simon Ackerman suddenly finds himself desperate to get into Hell, which, God forbid, turns out to be the better place to both visit and spend eternity. Struggling against the demons before him as well as the demons within, Simon encounters other proud denizens of Hell, including William Shakespeare, Frank Sinatra, Vlad the Impaler, and a chic, fashionable Mother Theresa, among others. At the end of his journey, Simon finds himself face to face with the most timeless conundrum of all — what do you do when you are finally being held accountable for your actions on Earth, being held accountable to a completely different set of standards, and most importantly, where do you truly wish to end up when you leave it?
Production Info
Cast: 8 total (3 female, 5 male, some doubling)Full Length Drama (about 100 minutes)
Minimal Set Requirements
Period Costumes
- Reviews
- About the Author(s)
- About the Book
- Special Notes
Press Quotes
“… simultaneously nutty and witty … with a philosophical message that never gets in the way of the laughs … it’s impossible not to like a show whose opening number includes Hitler and Einstein joining voices in the Arlen-Koehler standard ‘Let’s Fall in Love.’ The cast, with several members playing multiple roles, strikes a likable note of matter-of-fact absurdity.” —Anita Gates, The New York Times
“Panitch’s screwball metaphysical comedy has an undeniable huckster charm, as well as crackling performances and a handful of wickedly funny punch lines.” —Mitch Montgomery, BackStage
“Think of George Bernard Shaw’s DON JUAN IN HELL starring Sid Caesar … With its heart in the kind of smart, irreverent sketch comedy Steve Allen used to do, and its head in a struggle for the soul of a good man, HELL is a bona fide entertainment with ideas … Panitch has a graceful touch reminiscent of Marivaux.” —The Los Angeles Times
Author(s)
Seth PanitchSeth Panitch is a playwright, director, actor, and screenwriter. His plays include ALCESTIS ASCENDING (produced off Broadway at the Harold Clurman Theater, and in Havana, Cuba at the Teatro Raquel Revuelta by the Cuban National Office of Scenic Arts); HELL: PARADISE FOUND (produced off Broadway at the 59E59 Theaters and in Los Angeles at the Ventura Court Playhouse); DAMMIT SHAKESPEARE! (produced off Broadway at Urban Stages and the Westbeth Theatre Center, and in Los Angeles at The Globe Theatre); and WHAT’S TAKING MOSES SO LONG? (produced in Los Angeles at the Wooden O). In 2008, Seth became the first U S director to work in partnership with the Cuban National Office of Scenic Arts when he directed Shakespeare’s THE MERCHANT OF VENICE at the Teatro Adolfo Llaurado in Havana, Cuba. He subsequently directed Cuban productions of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, Christopher Durang’s BEYOND THERAPY, and his play ALCESTIS ASCENDING at the Teatro Raquel Revuelta and the Teatro Berthold Brecht. He has also directed off Broadway (Harold Clurman Theatre, 59E59 Theaters, Urban Stages) and at the Colorado and Texas Shakespeare Festivals. As a performer, Seth has worked off Broadway (59E59 Theaters, Urban Stages, Westbeth Theatre Center), regionally at the Colorado, Utah and Texas Shakespeare Festivals, and in Los Angeles at the Hillside Repertory Theatre, the Ventura Court Playhouse, The Globe Theatre, Dramatic New Art Theatre, and the Wooden O. His documentary, A Night in the Theater, has been published by Insight Media, and his second documentary Company HavanaBama: Directing Across the Gulf was screened by the 15th annual Sidewalk Film Festival. Since 2005, Seth has directed the M F A and Undergraduate Acting programs at the University of Alabama, where he was awarded the Burnum Distinguished Faculty Award in 2014, the Alabama National Alumni Association’s "Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award" in 2010, and was named the 2010 Druid Arts Educator of the Year. Seth received his B A at Occidental College in Los Angeles and an M F A in Acting at the University of Washington’s Professional Actor’s Training Program. He is a member of both the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and the Dramatists Guild of America, and the Illuminati, although he has steadfastly resisted branding any of their names on his chest.
Special Notes
If original stage producers credits appear in bold below, all licensees are required to include them in the following form on the title page in all programs distributed in connection with performances of the Play and in all advertising in which the full cast appears in size of type not less than ten percent (10%) of the size of the title of the Play:
In addition, the following must appear within all programs distributed in connection with performances of the Play:
by special arrangement with Broadway Play Publishing Inc, NYC
www.broadwayplaypub.com
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