Star Wars may be a space opera, but it doesn’t have much of a relationship to the stage. The only in-universe theater in the Star Wars movies is found in Revenge of the Sith, where Emperor Palpatine takes Anakin Skywalker to a performance by the Mon Calamari ballet. And while the scene is best known for Palpatine’s Darth Plagueis the Wise speech, it also contains a secret tie to one of the most esteemed playwrights of the 20th century.
Tom Stoppard, the revolutionary writer behind Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and the co-writer of Shakespeare in Love, recently passed away at the age of 88. For Star Wars fans, he’s best known for uncredited script polishing on Revenge of the Sith. Stoppard took several script doctor jobs over his career, including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
