Ken Ludwig's Leading Ladies
by Ken Ludwig
What readers are saying
Readers appreciate the humor and light-heartedness of the play, often highlighting its fun and engaging plot. Many enjoy the comedic elements and performances, finding it an entertaining experience overall, though some mention it feels derivative of other works. Overall, the play is described as a delightful farce that shines in its comedic delivery.
Synopsis
In this hilarious comedy by the author of Lend Me A Tenor and Moon Over Buffalo , two English Shakespearean actors, Jack and Leo, find themselves so down on their luck that they are performing “Scenes from Shakespeare” on the Moose Lodge circuit in the Amish country of Pennsylvania.
When they hear that an old lady in York, PA is about to die and leave her fortune to her two long lost English nephews, they resolve to pass themselves off as her beloved relatives and get the cash.
The trouble is, when they get to York, they find out that the relatives aren't nephews, but nieces!
Romantic entanglements abound, especially when Leo falls head-over-petticoat in love with the old lady's vivacious niece, Meg, who's engaged to the local minister.
Meg knows that there's a wide world out there, but it's not until she meets “Maxine and Stephanie” that she finally gets a taste of it.
Press Reviews
"Ken Ludwig is a national treasure. He has almost single-handedly kept alive the sense of humor of Philip Barry, Billy Wilder, Preston Sturgis, George S. Kaufman, and the Marx Brothers. With Lend Me a Tenor and Moon Over Buffalo, Ludwig established himself as the American playwright to look to for the fast and furious comedic stylings of those masters... Slapstick goofiness, scrambled Shakespeare, and good-natured laughs make Leading Ladies an irresistible treat."
— Montana Reperatory Theatre
"Leading Ladies is consistently funny-indeed, increasingly hilarious as it progresses."
— Houston Chronicle
"Look for Leading Ladies to become a staple of summer stock and community theatres. And, mind you, I mean that as a compliment."
— Variety
"Ken Ludwig gives the audience something powerful and potent: laughter and a guiltless evening of theatregoing."
— Village News
"A highly combustible and continuously hilarious new comedy by Ken Ludwig, Broadway's reigning gagmeister."
— Cleveland Plain Dealer
Videos
Meet The Playwright: Ken Ludwig
Publication
Ken Ludwig's Leading Ladies is a comedy play written by Ken Ludwig and published by Samuel French (2006).
Community Reviews
No community reviews yet
Buy Play
Where to buy
New
Performance Rights
Restrictions: Major Markets Plus (US) / Standard Plus Add'l Postcodes (UK)
Apply for Rights
Similar Plays
Plays with similar themes, style, and content.
More from Ken Ludwig
More plays from Ken Ludwig that we think you'll enjoy.
