ATW PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF
LEAVING SHAKESPEARE
AT THE HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL
“Shakespeare’s women step out of the script—and into their power.”
Leaving Shakespeare is what happens when the tragic women of his plays refuse their fate.
Ripped out of time, freed from archaic language and predetermined endings, they step into a new world—one where they are no longer bound to suffer, sacrifice, or disappear. Here, they get to choose.
LIVE AT HOLLYWOOD FRINGE 2026
Juliet doesn’t die for love—she questions it.
Lady Macbeth doesn’t unravel alone—she gets help.
Ophelia doesn’t drown—she wakes up.
The witches don’t just predict the future—they take control of it.
In bold, unexpected, and often hilarious new circumstances, these iconic women are given something they were never allowed before: Agency. Power. Voice. A second chance.
For centuries, Shakespeare’s heroines have been trapped in cycles of tragedy—silenced, sidelined, or destroyed in service of someone else’s story. Leaving Shakespeare flips the script.
What if they lived?
What if they healed?
What if they thrived?
Watch as Desdemona, Emilia, Bianca, Cordelia, Gertrude, Calpurnia, Cleopatra, and more rise out of the wreckage of their original fates and into something entirely new—supporting each other, rewriting their narratives, and discovering who they are when the story is finally theirs.
Tragedy becomes transformation.
Silence becomes expression.
Survival becomes power.
It’s bold. It’s irreverent. It’s deeply human. And yes—it’s very, very satisfying.
Because you can’t change everything for everyone…
but you can change everything for the women who were never given the chance.