Brevity is the Soul of Wit

From left to right, Diane Kallas as Rebecca Heminges, Topher Lowmar as Ed Knight, Evelyn Ewald as Elizabeth Condell, and Paul Weir as Richard Burbage in The Book of Will at Lake Country Playhouse. Photo credit: Mark Frohna.

A review of The Book of Will

by Benjamin Earnest, age 13

The Book of Will is one of those fan “What if?” ideas that actually did happen, come to life as a play at Lake Country Playhouse. This production tells the story of William Shakespeare’s friends’ journeys, fifteen years after he passes away, as they have the sudden idea of collecting almost all of Will's plays into one book. The interesting part of this story is seeing all of the friends’ points of view, like referencing times and places of their memories with him. The parts of the show that were the most interesting were the unique transitions, the production design elements, the character development, and the meaningful Shakespeare references.

With its intriguing plot, The Book of Will’s transitions are very audience-inclusive, with actors going in and out of the aisles asking for pennies, which contributes to the humor throughout the play. They usually include Sophia Bernhardt’s character selling tickets to Shakespeare’s plays, receiving coins from the house, and being very dramatic while putting on an off-brand Hamlet, which sets the audience bursting into laughter. Sometimes in between scenes that have cliffhangers there can be suspenseful overlapping orchestral music. This music can even be done during scenes that have major emotion which makes the audience feel sympathetic for the characters on stage.

Speaking of the stage, the scenic and props designers Eric Rorholm and Natalie Wanasek did an excellent job creating a very immerse experience of the whole area; lobby, house, and stage were covered in famous Shakespeare quotes, which was a very intriguing way of welcoming the audience to the Shakespearean universe. The props were another unique part of the show, because they used the same props to show a difference in setting, like changing from the local pub to the Globe Theatre with just the slightest adjustment to the tables and stools, which the actors do in less than thirty seconds. The lighting designer (Mike Lindgren) helps to organize two separate scenes when there are two events happening at the same time, like in the scene where the main protagonists unintentionally recreate a scene from one of William’s plays, while the real scene plays on the opposite side.

The most interesting part of the show was seeing both Henry and John (Oliver Kuhtz and Cory Klein) grow in their learning and friendship throughout the play. For example, during their strong argument about whether or not they should work with a family of printers, Henry refuses to work with William Jaggard (William Molitor), because Jaggard kept on putting Shakespeare’s plays without consent from Shakspeare’s friends. But Henry and John’s  passion for each other grows despite the obstacles that they all encounter with the unexpected tragedies that occur.

Director Morgan Gates’ approach to this show’s touch of humor is amazing. Whenever the characters make a reference to a Shakespeare play (especially when putting on a fake show) it is fantastic, with overexaggerated characters and lines. This is applied to all characters within the show from Richard Burbage (Paul Weir) to Boy Hamlet, portrayed by Sophia Bernhardt. These quotes showcase a new Shakespearean meaning to me.

Overall, the Book of Will was an excellent way of showing how we as people who aren’t most familiar with William Shakespeare’s plays can still enjoy an amazing performance with these guidelines to entertain with purpose. I would recommend this show to more of a mature audience due to the heavy subjects, use of mild language, and understanding of the plot. Go see The Book of Will at Lake Country Playhouse until the 1st of February. The only question that remains is “To be or not to be?”