Treatment

Treatment
'All The World'
A Screenplay by Mandy Wildman
(Based in Part on the Works of William Shakespeare and on
the Play by Mandy Wildman,"Shakespeare's Men & Women")

The film opens in a small community theater somewhere in Southern America. Mabel Dauber, an awkward, dreamy woman in her early 30’s is desperately auditioning for some of the upcoming shows. The only problem is, as the theater director points out, they are doing a Shakespeare season, and Mabel admittedly hates Shakespeare. She has no choice but to study the five Shakespeare plays they will be doing – Othello, Taming of the Shrew, Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Richard III – if she wants a chance at being cast. She must, in fact, immerse herself in Shakespeare.

Mabel takes her assignment very seriously, and spends every moment she can studying the five plays. Unfortunately, she has a rather overactive imagination, and begins to perceive the people in her life taking on some distinctly Shakespearean characteristics. This could be fun, except for the fact that as she continues to read the plays she begins to realize how they will end. It becomes her mission to ensure that the tragic endings do not occur!

Are the present-day Romeo & Juliet (the children of feuding Land development CEO's) destined for a double suicide or will Mabel stop them in time? Although Othello strangles the innocent Desdemona in the play, perhaps Mabel can intervene and stop the murder of her friend. Will the beautiful but arrogant Katharina finally be tames by that ruggedly handsome ruffian, Petruchio, or will she tell him to get lost? Maybe Mabel can help them along.

This movie has a somewhat surreal quality – we often see the characters from Mabel’s point of view and her new Shakespearean take on life - which may not match reality! We are left to wonder if the events really happened that way or perhaps this is all just in Mabel’s imagination. In any case, many good lessons are learned along the way in this entertaining, original and uplifting comedy.