Chance Theater Treats Audience to “The Bed Trick”

Chance Theater, Anaheim’s official resident theater company, lifts up the bed sheets to the California premiere of “The Bed Trick”. Get twisted up in the stageplay’s complex themes during select times between September 11 until October 4, 2026.

Shakespeare’s infamous “bed trick” from All’s Well That Ends Well gets a bold and frisky remix in this comic college romp. When deception and desire collide, three friends are forced to navigate the messy, hilarious, and sometimes shocking consequences of choices, crushes, and consent. From unexpected hookups to tangled friendships, The Bed Trick probes the question: what does consent really mean, and who gets to decide? Equal parts whip-smart comedy and pointed social commentary, this show takes the Bard’s mischief into the 21st century, exploring sex, ethics, and the timeless chaos of human desire with razor-sharp wit and a provocative edge.

Written by 2023 resident playwright Keiko Green. Director H. Adam Harris shares “In ‘The Bed Trick’, you see college freshmen and even adults grappling with [consent, intimacy, and wellness] as they navigate desire, shame, and the factually clear yet emotionally blurry line between right and wrong. The play does it all with laughter, Shakespeare, vulnerability, and intentional theatricality.”

Marianne (Mae Linh Young) is the product of her own parent’s “bed trick” and reflects the reality of consent from that encounter later resulting in her parent’s divorce. Theater drama student, Harriet (Sophia Blake) intermits the works of Shakespeare to the audience whilst the drama unfolds in her own life with convicted dedication and passion. She is unsure of her own wants and needs struggling to feel normal. Lulu (Zoe Hertzberg) grapples to keep in touch with her boyfriend, Willis (Khoi Le).

He seems to become more and more distant and less invested in the relationship. Marianne’s father and college professor, Benny (Erik Dylan Matibag) remains close to his daughter but becomes more acquainted with someone from the past. A familar name to the family. Marianne’s mother, fun-loving Anna (Karen O’hanlon) makes an unannounced visit to see her daughter.

Marianne reveals to Lulu that Willis has an active dating app account. Instead of confronting Willis, Marianne sets up a fake account using Harriet as the profile. The writing is on the wall this will not end well. For anyone.

Everyone is in for a whirlwind ride of their lives as the situation unfolds to an uncomfortable climax. The madcap tension tears apart in a frenzy of who’s who doing what. Khoi Le as boyfriend Willis brings an entertaining slow wit energy reminiscent of Manny Jacinto as Jason Mendoza in the television series “The Good Place” (2016-2020).

The conclusion is self aware of the original story’s problematic open train wreck lacking any satisfying resolution just to wind the audience up and left hanging just for laughs. “The Bed Trick” presenting that reality to the forefront brings validity to why so many romantic comedies lose audience value by the end and disappears into obscurity. Not with this outstanding work of art.

“The Bed Trick” is by no means the first to adapt a Shakespeare story, but this will surely open the mind for interpretation to values and self-worth. College places the characters in an ideal and quickly identifiable time in most people’s lives exploring and exposing ourselves when it comes to human connections and its messy fallouts. “The Bed Trick” opens with Harriet speaking to the audience fully aware and ingrained in the works of Shakespeare. “All’s Well That Ends” well does not take an inspiring backseat.

That story is front and center. Writer Keiko Green meticulously evolves that classic story into the contemporary world cleverly inserting modern technology of cell phones and dating apps to update the plot that is more easily readable and relatable to today’s audience. The deceptions are plausible now through generations even with classic story troupes that have been told four centuries ago.

Production design fills the stage for minimal scene changes and maximizes set locations. The stationary set up relative to the audience seating becomes reminiscent of a television show taping inside a sound stage. Giving the audience the feeling they are sitting in on a taping of a sitcom episode sans the rolling cameras and bustling production crew. The main college dorm adorned with decorative personalities to each other associated with the respective character traits is surrounded by a college office, courtyard, and alley. The ceiling above the dorm encompasses the space bring the audience into the fold.

Chance Theater continues to push the boundaries of the theater going experience with another provocative drama. Every season continues to challenge the audience perception of what the stage can hold. “The Bed Trick” smartly goes under the covers of the “problem comedy” and unravels the kinks most other romantic comedies struggle to wrinkle out. A playwright proudly spearheaded by resident artist Keiko Green.

Sneak under the covers with Chance Theater for “The Bed Trick” during select times between September 11 through October 4, 2026. Children under 4 years of age not permitted. Every show concludes with talkback with the cast. Free and convenient parking. For more information including ticket sales, visit https://www.chancetheater.com/

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