Coming in May – The Book of Will

The Book of Will tells the story of two aging actors from the King’s Men acting company, Henry Condell and John Heminges, and their attempt to preserve the literary works of their friend and the most famous and beloved playwright in history, William Shakespeare.

This amusing and warm-hearted play brings to life the urgent mission to preserve Shakespeare’s works for future generations. Without Condell and Heminges’s efforts, today we would not have the joy of literary masterpieces like Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, and the immortal Bard’s countless other plays and sonnets.

The play begins a few years after Shakespeare’s death. His fellow actors discover performances of pirated, poorly performed, and inaccurate versions of Shakespeare’s plays, harming his legacy. Condell and Heminges are determined to compile the First Folio and preserve the words that shaped their lives. They’ll have to borrow, beg, and band together to get it done.

The Book of Will is a delightful and funny tale that follows Condell and Heminges as they compile bits and pieces from what remains after a fire destroyed almost all of the original paper collection. Along the way, the pair must go head-to-head with a shady publisher and a drunken poet while facing declining resources and their mortality.

The Book of Will runs May 5 – 13 (except Monday). Tickets are $15 and go on sale in late April. Jud Stewart is directing, and Katie Moore is the producer.