You, Nero

In a new comedy from local writer Amy Freed, not only does Nero fiddle while Rome burns, he fills the Colosseum with an incendiary mix of sex and decadence. The egotistical emperor commands a washed-up scribe to create an extravagant show which flatters his regime. But to stage the script he must survive the real spectacle at the palace, where his mother, his mistress and an entourage of eunuchs play an elaborate game of deceit and seduction. Sharon Ott directs this smart and sassy show, as beloved actor Danny Scheie portrays the preposterous king.

In You, Nero, Freed lets loose the tigers on a crumbling empire obsessed with shallow celebrities, violent sports and sensational entertainment. When Rome unravels like its reality TV, everyone wants to get in the emperor’s new clothes.