Slings & Arrows

Geoffrey Tennant returns to the New Burbage Theatre—the site of his own acting triumph and career-ending meltdown—to assume the artistic directorship after the sudden death of his mentor, Oliver Welles. Believing that theatre is meant to provoke not anesthetize, Geoffrey takes on the suits who want to turn the festival into a theme park, a director who runs amuck with Hamlet, and his own demons, including Oliver—who returns to haunt him.

In season two, Geoffrey is now ensconced as artistic director of the New Burbage theatre festival, and must stage the cursed play Macbeth to fulfill the vision of his deceased predecessor Oliver. The lead actor engages in a titanic clash of egos with Geoffrey, while Oliver weighs in from the grave. A financial crisis forces the CEO to engage in some risky business, while leading lady Ellen endures a life-altering tax audit.

Season three sees the festival planning to stage King Lear, as well as a contemporary new musical, in an attempt to top the critical and financial success of its last production. But creative director Geoffrey Tennant finds himself seized by fits of uncontrollable weeping—among other, more intimate maladies.