About the Play:

Twentieth Century is a full-length musical comedy adapted by Ken Ludwig from the play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. A struggling Broadway producer tries to get a former lover, now a Hollywood star, to sign a contract to star in his latest (and as yet un-conceived) play as they travel on the luxury train Twentieth Century Limited from Chicago to New York. This hilarious adaptation of the classic play trims the large cast to a more economical size.

Twentieth Century is about Oscar Jaffe, the egomaniacal Broadway director, and Lily Garland, the chorus girl he transformed into a leading lady. Bankrupt, with his career on a downslide, Oscar boards the Twentieth Century Limited and encounters Lily, now a temperamental Hollywood star. He'll do anything to get her back under contract and back in his bed, but his former protégé will have nothing to do with him. All of the action takes place on board the legendary Twentieth Century train from Chicago to New York City where Oscar has 20 hours to persuade Lily to return to Broadway in his upcoming show. If he fails, it's the end of the line.

Twentieth Century premiered in 2003 by the Signature Theatre in Washington, D.C. It premiered on Broadway in 2004 at the Roundabout Theatre Company's American Airlines Theatre, starring Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche. Since then the play had regional premieres at professional theatres across the US and has been mounted by high schools, colleges, and community theatres.

Cast: 4 female and 12 male, (alternate casting 3 female and 7 male, with doubling)

What people say:

"[A] fun revival." — New York Post

"Vintage snap and crackle." — Newark Star Ledger

"A thrilling funhouse ride." — The New Yorker

"A Hoot." — The Wall Street Journal

About the Playwright:

Ken Ludwig is an internationally acclaimed American playwright whose work is performed throughout the world in more than thirty countries in over twenty languages. He has written twenty-five plays and musicals, with six Broadway productions and seven in London's West End. He has also won two Laurence Olivier Awards and the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.

Ben Hecht (1894-1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, and novelist. He was a prolific storyteller, authored 25 books and created some of the most entertaining screenplays and plays in America. Called "the Shakespeare of Hollywood," he received screen credits for the stories or screenplays of some 65 films. But he was also the first great script-doctor and his uncredited hand can be found in 146 films, including Gone With the Wind and Casino Royale.

Charles MacArthur (1895-1956) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for his play with Ben Hecht, The Front Page, which has been filmed frequently. It was based in part on MacArthur's experiences at the City News Bureau of Chicago.