How to Write a Regency Romance at Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park

Overview

Step into Oklahoma Shakespeare’s Play Reading Series! Hear the words come alive in a staged reading, then join the cast for a lively conversation. It’s all about celebrating the craft of storytelling and sparking fun, thoughtprovoking dialogue together.

This month features a brandnew RomanceLit–inspired romp with an “audience decides” twist from Oklahoma playwright Erin Woods.

Synopsis

Erin Woods — acclaimed author of Jane Austen’s Christmas Cracker and wellknown for her adaptations of Austen’s works — turns her sharp comedic eye toward the playful (and sometimes spicy) world of Historical Romantic Fiction. In her new metacomedy, How to Write a Regency Romance, Woods lovingly skewers the tropes of the genre while celebrating everything readers adore about it.

Fans of Bridgerton and devotees of both Modern and Historical Romance will delight in this comic “stage adaptation” of “a novel” set in the Regency era. The script explores everyone’s favorite RomanceLit tropes — spirited heroines, rakish gentlemen, and the delicate dance of courtship — all while inviting the audience to shape the story.

At several key moments, the audience chooses the Hero and Heroine’s next steps, effectively rewriting the play each performance. Beneath the laughter lies Woods’s thoughtful exploration of gender, creativity, and the timeless allure of storytelling.

Why You’ll Love It

• a sparkling new play inspired by the Bridgertongenre

• a witty sendup of romance tropes and romantic fiction, full of banter and surprises

• a playful chooseyourpath structure that lets the audience shape the story

• a heartfelt loveletter to Romantic Literature and the people who can’t read fast enough

Event Details

Join Oklahoma Shakespeare for this delightful dive into the rabbithole of romantic literature, where Erin Woods’s wit and daring shine as brightly as ever. Enjoy a reading of the play, then stay for a lively conversation with the cast and playwright.

FAQ

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions — Oklahoma Shakespeare (okshakes.org)

Run Time

Approx. 2 hours, including a brief postshow conversation.

Content Advisory

How to Write a Regency Romance includes mature, Bridgertonstyle language, spicy romance tropes, and playful references to romantic intimacy. Nothing intimate is staged — this is a scriptinhand reading — but stage directions are read aloud, and the vocabulary reflects the tone of modern and historical romance fiction.

This reading is not recommended for children or families. It is designed for adult romance readers and fans of authors such as Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas, Eloisa James, Emily Henry, Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, and others across the Romance and Romantasy genres. If you have questions about the tone or themes of this reading, we’re always happy to help.