by Zach Raffio. @zachraffio.
ATLANTA - Local playwright Hillary Lewis spent her Christmas Eve preparing a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and an accompanying glass of cold milk to leave out overnight for one very special, mystical visitor - Broadway super-producer Scott Rudin.
“It’s been a tradition in my house ever since I wrote my first play,” noted the writer, already cozied up in her pajamas. “I know it may seem juvenile, but hey, I really think my play, ‘The Forever Town’, has legs, so I’m just hoping Mr. Rudin brings a Christmas miracle - in the form of a substantial monetary investment, a large chunk of his personal time for the next year or so to make sure everything stays on track, and calling in close favors to convince Glenn Close to play the lead. Isn’t that what Christmas is about?”
Lewis’s parents find the practice particularly endearing.
“Everyone needs a dose of holiday magic - even if it’s a 27-year old playwright hoping for some enchanted visit from one of Broadway’s most controversial gatekeepers,” notes Lewis’s father, Jeremy. “She used to try and wait up all night to catch a glimpse of him, but would always fall asleep - Final Draft still open on her laptop. She also insists that instead of reindeer and elves, he just uses Yale Drama grad students. I love this time of year.”
Representatives for Scott Rudin provided comment.
“Yes, we get the letters every year,” noted Rudin’s attorney, Brenda Slack. “Mr. Rudin does not sneak into young playwright’s houses on Christmas Eve and offer to produce their work. That makes no sense. Plus, this young woman lives in Atlanta - how would he even get there? Does she think he has a sled? Because he does, and it’s made of diamonds, but he wouldn’t use it for this.”
At press time, Lewis was seen outside her home crafting “Shubmen”, aka snowmen that slightly resemble senior producers at The Shubert Organization.