Uncorking the secrets of 'Drunk Shakespeare'

Adapter/director Lori Wolter Hudson and actor Samuel Adams, who stars as Romeo in Drunk Romeo & Juliet, spill all about the boozy theatre institution.

Belly up to the Bard! Combining Shakespeare with spirits is how Drunk Shakespeare, a staple of New York’s theatre scene since 2014, rolls. As each performance starts, one actor in the five-member cast downs four shots — and a couple more midway through.

The Drunk Shakespeare Society, as the ensemble calls itself, puts a unique, interactive, and 100-proof spin on classics. Each night, two “Royal Seats” are auctioned off, granting winners champagne, plush thrones, and the power to command more drinks on stage. Numerous plays have gotten the boozy treatment over the years, and this summer’s spirited take on Shakespeare is Drunk Romeo & Juliet, a tragedy of feuding families and doomed lovers.

So what’s it like to speak lines like “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright” while tipsy? We asked writer/director Lori Wolter Hudson, who adapted the show into a 90-minute party play, and Samuel Adams (yes, like the beer), who plays Romeo in the current production. Read on for the behind-the-scenes scoop — then order up tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

Get Drunk Romeo & Juliet tickets now.

First things first: Does the actor drink real alcohol on stage at the Ruby Theatre?

Lori Wolter Hudson: Yes. So everybody knows the show’s not rigged, there’s a moment at the top where we ask the audience, "Who wants a shot?" Then an actor drinks four shots, one of them with the audience member to prove it’s real alcohol.

Samuel, what’s your go-to shot before you play Romeo?

Samuel Adams: One of the cast members drinks tequila; one of them drinks whiskey. I drink vodka, usually, because it's going to give me the least chance of having a hangover. Luckily, they give us pretty good stuff. I think for the vodka it’s Belvedere.

Samuel, have you been truly inebriated on stage during this show?

Adams: I have been legit drunk at times. Different people in the cast have different levels of tolerance. I'm a lightweight. We're never in danger of blacking out or getting sick, but alcohol definitely affects you. That, combined with the enthusiasm of the crowd, is incredibly propulsive.

Does the drunk actor know in advance of the performance that they will be the inebriated one?

Hudson: Yes. We have a behind-the scenes schedule because the actors rotate in the drunk role, so it's all mapped out in advance. You can have a burrito or whatever the day you're drunk to prepare for the show.

Adams: Right, so you have something in your stomach. There’s a really good falafel stand nearby.

What is it like to perform drunk? Have there been mishaps?

Adams: Oh my God, every night, it's something crazy that’s unexpected. It’s the nature of this show. The other night, I was doing the balcony scene, and one of the people in the "Royal Seats" calls me over and gives me their bottle of champagne. So I, like an idiot, take a swig from the bottle of champagne, and it just goes everywhere. Stuff like that happens all the time.

Hudson: It’s always a different show every night. But there are safety protocols in place where we're tracking the drunk actor, who can get an Uber home.

Is there room for improvisation in Drunk Shakespeare productions?

Hudson: The show is scripted, yes, but the best parts often happen in those unscripted, in-between moments you can’t see coming, like audience interaction. The audience is key because there’s no fourth wall. You are in it, living, breathing, drinking, with everybody, all together. It automatically makes it a charged experience.

Get Drunk Romeo & Juliet tickets now.

(Photo credit: Samuel Adams in Drunk Romeo & Juliet. (Photos by Travis Emery)