Thy Hard

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Praise from Lavender Magazine at the Minnesota Fringe:

Thy Hard is a very certain type of Fringe material. A person (in this case Micheal Shaffer) takes one thing that he loves (Die Hard and tangentially related pop culture) and smashes it together with another thing that he loves (Shakespeare). What results is sonnets rewritten to adore Twinkies and their “hydrogenated tallow”, throwaway lines like “I see dead people, Horatio,”, and an impeccable Alan Rickman impression. Shaffer even printed a Bingo card on the back of the program, where audience members can cross off references like “Run DMC” and “King Lear” as they come up. Just don’t say Bingo during the performance or they’ll get mad at you.

The show is formatted as a pitch. Shaffer, who is on the stage, is pitching Thy Hard material to an unimpressed Jo, who is in the sound booth. Her Voice of God performance was great, but her character consistently insulting the show the rest of us were trying to enjoy annoyed me.

Perhaps my favorite part of Shaffer’s performance was the helicopter crash. I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say that there was a propeller hat involved and the SFX will take you back to your childhood playroom in the best way possible.

The tone of the show changes briefly about three quarters of the way through when Shaffer brings up Willis’ diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia. The transition to this emotional detour was abrupt enough that I was concerned that we were heading into an ableist joke – but let me save you the worry: this is genuinely something that Shaffer cares about. His grandmother also suffered from the disease, and he considers Thy Hard something of a love letter to Willis.

I recommend this show for people who like Shakespeare, Die Hard, and those who have been impacted by Alzheimer’s.

--Buer Carlie

"It isn’t Christmas until Hans Graber falls out the window of Nakatomi Plaza, in iambic pentameter; comedy word wizard Michael Shaeffer does it again - 5 stars" --Matthew Everett, single white fringe geek

Praise from the world premiere at the Kansas City Fringe:

"His combining of Die Hard and Shakespeare is sheer genius."--Dean Hatton

"Hands down the funniest thing I have seen at the theatre festival in YEARS! Clever, funny, witty, and a joy for anyone who loves the Christmas classic Die Hard." --Lauren Hruby

"As a die-hard Shakespearean, I give this play five Yoricks. Michael is always charming, even when he’s just shooting the shit with the audience, and the depth and breadth of his Shakespeare rolodex (and his ability to retrofit it to just about any plot situation) is relentlessly impressive." --Tim Mooney

"If you like Die Hard, you’ll find this show endlessly amusing. I’m only acquainted with Die Hard, but appreciate some Shakespeare and found the show very smart with clever crafting of verse; it was also darn funny with a sprinkling of poignant moments. Top notch performance!" --Julie Noonan

"This was a very unique take- both on Shakespeare and Die Hard! I was pleasantly surprised by all of the lesser-known sonnets referenced in this piece, meanwhile certain bits like the bear and the “forced-perspective” finale absolutely sent me." --A. McM

"I am always amazed at Michael’s creativity and so glad he is back in KC! Perhaps now that he lives a tad bit closer than Alaska, we will get his brilliance every year. Thy Hard is Michael in smashing form – props, costumes, wit & words!" --Mary L.

"An incredibly entertaining hour! I’ve never seen Die Hard, and I still had a great time. His Alan Rickman impression is SPOT ON!"--Katie

"This inventive performance at the Kansas City Fringe Festival masterfully blends the explosive excitement of "Die Hard" with the eloquent language of Shakespeare, resulting in a hilarious and captivating theatrical experience. For "Die Hard" fans, the show offers a fresh, laugh-out-loud perspective on familiar scenes. Those who appreciate both "Die Hard" and Shakespeare will find even greater enjoyment in the witty, well-crafted sonnets. "Thy Hard" is an innovative and entertaining show catering to a diverse audience." --Karen Staehling

Here's the most-recent review of Thy Hard, which just landed "Best of Venue" at the Kansas City Fringe!

“Thy Hard was a remarkable show, in fact, it was my personal favorite of Fringe 2024. And I would say the crowd agrees, based on the full-hearted laughter throughout. You do not have to be a Shakespearean fan to enjoy this witty fusion of pop culture with Shakespeare's prose. Michael Shaeffer’s performance was blended with witty commentary, flowing rhymes, and lively banter. An endearing part of the play was a love letter, per se, to Bruce Willis, as Michael’s grandmother was similarly affected by dementia and eventually Alzheimer's. This being a more somber but important moment to review Bruce’s scope of work over the years and to mention (some of) the show’s proceeds are donated to dementia and Alzheimer’s research. Quickly we are thrust back into the action of the show as a raging Shakespeare supercut represents the conflict in the tower at Nakatomi Plaza comes to the final ending scene. In conclusion, I truly enjoyed the trip down memory lane of “Die Hard”, but ended up loving Michael’s reimagined trip through the various works of Shakespeare fused into modern culture. Well done." --Gregory Harris

***

From the playwright: I had toyed with the idea of writing a Shakespearean version of Die Hard five years ago. This has now become the third part of a trilogy.  Up in Fairbanks, Alaska, I had written and produced a Shakespearean version of both Caddyshack (CaddyShakes - 2018) and The Breakfast Club (Thee, Breakfast Club - 2019).  The former enjoyed a successful touring run at the 2019 Kansas City Fringe Festival.

When I found out about Bruce Willis' declining mental health and that his dementia was very similar to the experiences my grandmother suffered, I was inspired to complete the project and bring a greater awareness to Alzheimer's Disease and dementia through the entertainment of Shakespeare and everything Bruce Willis.  Part of the proceeds will go towards research and relief at Hilarity for Charity or wearehfc.org.  

This show also reunites me with my friend, Jo Kalla. She was the one who first got me hooked on the Minnesota Fringe way back in 2002.

Here is the preview clip from Mixed Blood Theatre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lriRxmquD8

Here is a webinar discussing frontal temporal dementia, Bruce Willis, and the premiere of Thy Hard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fky6_cDJmiQ