The Book of Will
Reviewed by F. Kathleen Foley
A Noise Within
Through June 7
RECOMMENDED
Even though we are well aware that Shakespeare’s First Folio was successfully published, The Book of Will, Lauren Gunderson’s play about the Herculean effort to compile the plays into that folio, is surprisingly suspenseful — a gripping, edge of your seat yarn with enough plot twists for a Masterpiece Mystery episode.
The wild, eventful undertaking to salvage Shakespeare from the dust heap of history fuels Gunderson’s well-researched, droll comedy-drama, currently at A Noise Within.
The action opens with a posturing twerp (Kelvin Morales) humorously butchering the “To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy from Hamlet. It’s mere months after the Bard’s demise, yet his immensely popular — and sadly bastardized — plays still play to turn-away crowds.
Shakespeare’s cronies and fellow players — Richard Burbage (Frederick Stuart), Henry Condell (Jeremy Rabb), and John Heminges (Geoff Elliott) —are drowning their disgust in ale after witnessing that travesty. When the twerp shows up in the alehouse run by Heminges’s daughter Alice (Nicole Javier), the histrionic Burbage — the foremost actor of his age – launches into a recapitulation of Shakespeare’s most famous speeches — a masterful medley that sends the twerp fleeing.
Alas, poor Burbage. He knew Shakespeare well. Not only that, he knew his plays by heart, so his sudden demise leaves his surviving friends wondering how the texts, many of which have never been published, will survive without his phenomenal powers of recall.
Ever the starry-eyed optimist, Condell is intent upon chasing down every Shakespeare fragment extant, from sides to quartos to working drafts. The cynical Heminges, a former actor turned manager, thinks the effort is doomed from the outset, but his steadfast wife, Rebecca (Deborah Strang), chivvies him into soldiering on.
As others join them in their quixotic quest, scraps of documents pile up — a blitzkrieg of snippets that would mystify the most brilliant puzzle master. It’s the equivalent of a thousand-piece jigsaw — except the puzzle is all sky, no clouds.
As is typical with A Noise Within productions, the design elements – particularly Frederica Nascimento’s scenic design, Angela Balogh Calin’s costumes and Ken Booth’s lighting — are all first rate. Sound designer Robert Oriol’s original compositions are essential to the overall ambience. Strang, Elliott and Rabb spearhead the excellent cast, while the ever-stalwart Stuart dominates the action early on in a tour-de-force scene. As the boozy, brilliant Ben Jonson, Alex Morris deftly substituted for regular cast member Chuma Gault.
Co-directors Elliott and Julia Rodriguez Elliott plumb the play’s humor while honoring its considerable melancholy. In the most moving passage, Condell consoles Heminges, who can’t see a reason for living after the death of his wife. Condell movingly reminds Heminges of the essential role of theater in their lives — a beautiful testament to theater’s restorative power in troubling times and a powerful reminder that, through theater, our stories can be retold and renewed for generations to come.
A Noise Within, 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena; Thur., 7:30 p.m.; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. through June 4. (626) 356-3100 or www.anoisewithin.org Running time: two hours and 15 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.
