All the World's a Stage, by Jeremy Stelzner

Prose, chapbook, 28 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

The day started with such potential. Theodore Vandershlump would be performing Hamlet. As a self-proclaimed thespian, it doesn’t get much better than that. But after Teddy drops dead mid-soliloquy, the day takes a turn for the surreal.

Upon arriving at the pearly gates, the afterlife appears to be an actor’s wonderland. But just as in the realm of the living, not everything is as it seems.

Jeremy Stelzner’s careful comedic touch is on full display in All the World’s a Stage. It’s a riotous ride for all fans of stage, screen, and Shakespeare.

Stelzner’s stories have appeared in literary magazines, journals, and anthologies, including the 2024 Coolest American Stories, the McNeese Review, and Prime Number Magazine, where his story “The Thin Line” was awarded runner-up for the 2024 Press 53 Award for Short Fiction. He teaches literature and journalism. You can find his work at www.jastelzner.com