Slings and Arrows/Awesome


 * Geoffrey gets one any time he talks about a play or a character:
 * When we are first introduced to him, he is fixing a toilet. Then he takes the stage, plunger in hand, and proceeds to describe his vision of The Tempest, verbally transforming the bare stage to a ship in a storm.
 * Upon seeing Claire's terrible acting, he gives a moving analysis of Ophelia's motivations and mental state. Unfortunately, it doesn't take.
 * Although he was initially hesitant because of personal issues with the play, he takes Jack Crew under his wing and wrings an incredible Hamlet out of him, proving wrong all the critics who thought an American action movie star couldn't do real theater.
 * To avoid having to direct a play, he volunteers to teach a class on Shakespeare to businesspeople. Once there, he throws out the syllabus and just has them read and discuss, culminating in Terry from Accounting performing a monologue that brings his coworkers almost to tears.
 * Made even more awesome by it being delivered by series co-creator Bob Martin, an actor unlikely to be cast as Mackers getting his chance at the role.
 * Darren Nichols, of all people, gets one during his many experiments with Romeo and Juliet. The actors are dismissive of his exercises and he finally blows up and shows that he does actually have some understanding of and respect for the theater.
 * Yet another example tops this: when Darren briefly forgets himself and puts on a "conventional" production of a play (with no horses to speak of). "Did you hear that? I'M NOT A ZOMBIE! I have a soul! I can feel!"
 * Almost all of season 2 is devoted to the power struggle between Geoffrey and Kenneth Branagh Expy Henry Breedlove, star of the festival's production of Macbeth. Right before opening night, Geoffrey goes too far and Henry quits. Macbeth understudy and resident Chew Toy Jerry has to go on in Henry's place, much to the disappointment of the audience, who came expecting to see an internationally famous actor play the most famous part in Shakespeare. Jerry initially forgets his lines, but overcomes his panic and proceeds to completely blow the audience away with an incredible performance.