THE BOOK OF WILL Comes to Contemporary Theater Company

Head back to a time when quills ruled supreme and iambic pentameter was all the rage at The Contemporary Theater Company’s production of The Book of Will by Lauren Gunderson, running from July 28th through August 20th.

Written in modern language but set in London circa 1619, The Book of Will delves into the captivating story of two of Shakespeare's closest confidants, Henry Condell and John Heminges, and their quirky, passionate band of thespians as they embark on a daring mission to preserve their friend's iconic works for posterity. This witty comedy honors the profound influence of the Bard while taking theater enthusiasts on a heartfelt adventure.

“The story we tell in The Book of Will is how it very nearly came to pass that Shakespeare’s words would not survive him,” says Ryan Sekac, the show’s director. “As the memory of his real work began to fade, the monumental undertaking of trying to collect and codify his enormous body of work became all too apparent. The story of the perseverance of the King’s Men who yet remained to take up the task is one without which the world surely would have been deprived of the work of one its greatest authors.”

This year is the 400th anniversary of the publishing of the First Folio, the creation of which The Book of Will chronicles. The First Folio was published about seven years after the death of Shakespeare and was a collection of 36 of his play.  It is arguably the only reliable text for about 20 of the plays and includes corrections for many that were previously published with errors.

The play beautifully weaves moments of joy, wit, and poignant reflection, underscoring the enduring value of friendship and the profound impact of Shakespeare's immortal words on humanity.

“I think people might be surprised at how funny the play is,” says Paula Glen, who plays John Heminges. “It's incredibly clever without taking itself too seriously. Rehearsals have been nonstop laughter.”

Since the show revolves around the physical creation of Shakespeare’s scripts, the show requires close to 100 handwritten pages as props.

“I've really enjoyed making all of the props for this show!” says stage manager Reed Reed. “Usually I do most of the making on my own, but this whole cast was so excited to help write all of the sides and scripts, and I love seeing everyone's handwriting in the piles of paper we put on stage.”

The Contemporary Theater Company has performed 12 of Shakespeare’s plays through the years, many in their popular Shakespeare on the Saugatucket series, which currently features The Merry Wives of Windsor. This fall, the theater will also produce one of Shakespeare’s most famous comedies, Much Ado About Nothing.

Tickets for The Book of Will are now available and can be purchased online at www.contemporarytheatercompany.com or by calling the box office at (401) 218-0282. The show will be inside the theater at 327 Main Street, Wakefield, RI.

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