America’s most-produced playwright steps onto the stage to give voice to Anne Hathaway in the European premiere of her new play, revealing the ‘combustible and devoted’ partnership behind the legend.
Lauren M. Gunderson, a titan of the American stage, is not only a writer of stories but, for a few nights this October, the living embodiment of one. In an unprecedented European premiere, Prague Shakespeare Company will present her latest work, Muse of Fire, a play that delves into the passionate, often-overlooked relationship between William Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway. In a rare and deeply personal turn, Gunderson herself will take on the role of Anne, offering Prague audiences a unique opportunity to see a master storyteller inhabit her own creation.
Lauren Gunderson
We sat down with Ms. Gunderson to discuss the fire behind the muse, the magic of Prague, and the bold, vulnerable act of stepping into the shoes of Shakespeare’s enigmatic wife.
You are America’s most-produced playwright. Stepping onto the stage yourself to play Anne Hathaway is a remarkable choice. What is the essential truth about this character that you felt you could only tell by embodying her yourself?
Lauren M. Gunderson: First and foremost, I must thank Guy and Jessica at Prague Shakespeare Company for their belief in the power and timeliness of this play. It has meant the world to have their support and encouragement as we take big risks to tell this story. I’m so grateful that we get to tell it with them in the gorgeous, compelling city of Prague.
In my telling, Anne is as vivacious, keen-eyed, and savage as her playwright husband. The more I wrote the play, the more I couldn’t help but imagine myself as the first inhabitant of the role. And truly, writing from within the play has been a fabulous alteration to my normal process. It has been uniquely generative and flexible. Anne’s story has always been under-told, and I wanted to give her back her voice, her power, and most shockingly of all, her love story. I believe that Shakespeare might have just chosen someone as curious and interesting as he was for a wife, and I want to meet her as much as I want to meet him. She is passionate, ferociously smart, furiously funny.
The title is Muse of Fire. What is the “fire” you’ve uncovered in their relationship, and what sparks will the audience see fly on stage?
LMG: The “fire” in the title is all of the things they kindled both separately and together: Will’s art, Anne’s family, their marriage — messy, magnetic, grief-filled, and love-fueled. All of it is in their uncontrollable, unavoidable fire of the mind and heart. Anne and Will spark off each other, and the question of the play is, will they smolder… or burn each other to ash. This play doesn’t treat her as the quiet wife in Stratford; it shows the heat, the fights, the flirtation, the shared ambition. The audience will see a marriage that’s as combustible as it is devoted; the kind of love that can devastate or offer salvation.
Why bring this intensely personal story to Prague for its European premiere? What is it about this city that connects with the play?
LMG: Performing this play in Prague—a city that I have longed to visit because of its history, beauty, and literary soul—feels like magic. I have been told that Prague is a place of eternal beauty but also a place that is a bit haunted. To tell a story about legacy, ambition, and the intimacy of a creative partnership in a city like this… well, it’s a perfect match.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1 October, 2025 – Prague, Czech Republic
America’s Most-Produced Playwright, Lauren M. Gunderson, Makes European Stage Debut in the Premiere of Her New Play, MUSE OF FIRE, at Prague Shakespeare Company
PRAGUE, CZ – October 1, 2025 – Prague Shakespeare Company (PSC) is proud to announce the European premiere of MUSE OF FIRE, a powerful and intimate new play by Lauren M. Gunderson, one of America’s most celebrated and produced living playwrights. In a rare theatrical event, Ms. Gunderson will also make her European stage debut, starring in the production. Performances will run from October 10, 11, 17 & 18, 2025, at Divadlo Na Pradle.
Directed by the acclaimed Evren Odcikin, MUSE OF FIRE is an intimate two-person play that dives into the life and love of William Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway, at the volatile moment of his retirement from London. The play explores the searing emotional and creative fuel behind the world’s greatest writer, grappling with the sacrifices and joys of a life dedicated to the stage. Starring opposite Gunderson as William Shakespeare is Casey Murphy.
“To host the European premiere of a new work from a playwright of Lauren’s stature is an honor in itse,” said Guy Roberts, Artistic Director of Prague Shakespeare Company. “To have her and the visionary director Evren Odcikin here in Prague, with Lauren herself taking the stage, is a once-in-a-lifetime event for our company and our audiences. This production is a testament to the power of new writing and the timeless stories that connect us across centuries.”
Lauren Gunderson adds, “I must thank Guy and Jessica at Prague Shakespeare Company for their belief in the power and timeliness of this play. It has meant the world to have their support and encouragement as we take big risks to tell this story. I’m so grateful that we get to tell it with them in the gorgeous, compelling city of Prague.”
Following each performance, audiences are invited to a Talk-Back with the artists, offering a unique opportunity to engage directly with the creators of this exciting new work.
Additionally Lauren M. Gunderson and Evren Odcikin will be conducting a special three-day workshop on Writing and Creating New Plays from 14-16 October with PSC at Divadlo Na Pradle. Details may be found on the PSC website link below.
Exclusive Artist Workshop
In addition to the performances, PSC will host an exclusive three-day creative summit, Playwriting & Creating New Plays, from October 14-16, 2025. Led by Lauren M. Gunderson and Evren Odcikin, this workshop offers a limited number of writers, directors, and actors an unprecedented opportunity for direct mentorship with two of contemporary theatre’s most vital voices. The workshop culminates in a professional New Work Showcase in November. For more information visit: https://pragueshakespeare.com/lauren-m-gunderson-playwriting-creating-developing-new-plays-writing-workshop.html and contact Guy Roberts at guy@pragueshakespeare.org
About the Artists
LAUREN M. GUNDERSON (Playwright & Actor) has been one of the most-produced playwrights in America since 2015. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award and a winner of the William Inge Distinguished Achievement in Theatre Award. Her works, including I and You, The Book of Will, and The Revolutionists, are published and produced at major theatres across the globe. She is also the book writer for several musicals, including The Time Traveller’s Wife with Dave Stewart and Joss Stone.
EVREN ODCIKIN (Director) is an award-winning Turkish-American director, writer, and arts leader. He recently served as the Interim Artistic Director at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, one of America’s largest and most prestigious theatres. His work has been seen at renowned institutions such as Soho Rep (a New York Times Critic’s Pick), Berkeley Rep, Woolly Mammoth, and Golden Thread. He is a recipient of the TITAN Award from Theatre Bay Area and was an inaugural National Director’s Fellow.
Listing Information
WHAT: MUSE OF FIRE – European Premiere
WHO: Written by Lauren M. Gunderson, Directed by Evren Odcikin Starring Lauren M. Gunderson and Casey Murphy Presented by Prague Shakespeare Company
WHEN: October 10, 11, 17 & 18, 2025, at 19:00 (7:00 PM)
WHERE: Divadlo Na Pradle, Besední 3, 118 00 Malá Strana, Prague 1
TICKETS: 400CZK General Admission / 200CZK Students & Seniors. Tickets are available now athttps://goout.net/en/muse-of-fire/szxuray/
More Information at:
https://pragueshakespeare.com/lauren-m-gundersons-muse-of-fire-european-premiere.html
About Prague Shakespeare Company
The Prague Shakespeare Company (PSC) presents professional theatre productions, workshops, classes, lectures and other theatrical events of the highest quality, conducted primarily in English by a diverse multinational ensemble of professional theatre artists, with an emphasis on the plays of William Shakespeare. The Prague Shakespeare Company brings to Czech, European and international audiences performances that are fresh, bold, imaginative, thought-provoking, and eminently accessible, connecting the truths of the past with the challenges and possibilities of today.
Media Contact:
Guy Roberts, Artistic Director
guy@pragueshakespeare.org
+420 603 968 536