Rand and Peikoff characters in a theater comedy

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

The Death of Ayn Rand by John Byrd

This this a new one-act play (comedy) that is now being staged at the Rhythmix Cultural Works center every Friday and Saturday through July 7 in Alameda, CA, by the Virago Theatre Company. Two of the main characters are Ayn Rand and Leonard Peikoff.

According to the Virago website, 2007 Season Productions, the following information is given:

The Death of Ayn Rand

by John Byrd

Directed by Robert Lundy-Paine

"Ayn Rand struggles to write her final masterpiece but is interrupted by a non-stop parade of high-spirited hallucinations. A quick-witted comedy from the author of The Hermit Bird."

Featuring: Angela Dant, Michaela Greeley, *Stephen Pawley, Sondra Putnam, *Paul Santiago, Jeremy Vik

* Member, Actor's Equity

Another play will be given along with this one: A Bed of My Own by Robert Hamm.

Here are a couple of articles about the production:

Virago Does It Again, Twice, at Rythmix

The Avant-garde Hits Alameda

Schedule, address, ticket prices, etc., for those who want to see it are given here:

'A Bed of My Own' with 'The Death of Ayn Rand'

Now here is what I found on my Internet research:

John Byrd's blog (including comments about the play—See June 7, 2007 entry)

John Byrd's theater curriculum

The Death of Ayn Rand (full text)

The characters of Ayn Rand and Leonard Peikoff are not caricatures. On the page they are basically believable against an absurd comic background. I do not know how the actors will portray them.

(Thanks to Barbara for sending me the news item link from the Alameda Sun. She called it "Good Grief!!!")

Michael