THE UPRIGHT HUSTLE

A modern-day Twelfth Night in jazz form. A silent duel of identity and instinct, where playing the right part at the right moment means everything.

The Upright Hustle is ashort film written and directed by Riot Stage founder Samantha Leeds. With nods to Whiplash, Sergio Leone westerns, and the improvisational chaos of teenage ambition. The film riffs on classic Shakespearean themes of rivalry, disguise, and turning the tables through wit and timing. 

Shakespearean Parallels: The Upright Hustle × Twelfth Night

Disguise and Performed Identity
In Twelfth Night, Viola survives and advances by disguising herself as someone she’s not, using performance, observation, and timing to navigate a world where she’s underestimated. In The Upright Hustle, Lev knows only one song, he should be at a disadvantage. But he studies the others, mirrors their strengths, and re-performs their moves. He passes himself off as someone more skilled than he is, not through deceit, but through transformation and nerve.

Outwitting Rivals
Shakespeare’s characters often succeed not by overpowering others, but by outthinking them. Viola outmaneuvers both Orsino and Olivia, navigating gender, status, and emotion with strategy. Lev outwits his rivals not by being better, but by thinking faster. Like Viola, he uses what's available, observation, instinct, and daring, to flip the script and walk away with the win.

Comedy Through Competition
Twelfth Night is driven by characters jockeying for position, in love, power, and attention. The comedy comes from misunderstandings and reversals of status.The Upright Hustle plays with similar stakes, each kid trying to stand out and claim the spotlight. The audition room becomes a stage for status shifts, ego clashes, and a final comedic reversal where Lev gets the upper hand.

So when we say The Upright Hustle is “a modern-day Twelfth Night in jazz form,” we’re pointing to:

  • A protagonist who succeeds through quick thinking and strategic performance,

  • A world where identity is fluid and power shifts fast,

  • And a classic comedic structure built on cleverness over confidence.