The Book of Will
April 24 – May 10, 2026
By Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Julia Body
The Book of Will is a lively, heartfelt play that brings Shakespeare’s legacy to life. Blending humor, history, and great urgency, it follows friends racing to preserve the Bard’s works before they are corrupted or stolen —reminding us how easily great art can be lost, and how fiercely it must be protected. (The play is in modern English.)
It’s 1619, three years after Shakespeare’s death. There are no copyright laws and other theatre companies are actively pirating Shakespeare’s plays. Young boys are hired to attend a Shakespeare play and copy down as many words as they can. The rival companies then fill in the missing words with their best guesses (usually bad ones) and pass it off as a genuine Shakespeare play. John Heminges and Henry Condell believe the only way to protect their dear friend’s legacy is to publish his plays before they disappear forever. This proves to be an urgent and herculean task in these days when the printing press is in its infancy.
The Book of Will is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com)
