The South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) Theatre Collective and Centralia College will present a co-production of “The Book of Will” Nov. 7 to 14 and Nov. 21 to 24.
Written by playwright Lauren Gunderson and directed by Olympia icon Brian Tyrrell, the play will run from Nov. 7 to Nov. 14 at SPSCC’s Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts and Nov. 21 to Nov. 24 at Centralia College’s Corbet Theatre.
“‘The Book of Will’ tells the little-known, true story of how William Shakespeare’s friends, Henry Condell and John Hemings, rescued half of his plays from being lost forever,” SPSCC said in a news release. “After the Bard’s death, these two actors embark on a quest to compile the First Folio, preserving the words that shaped their lives and changed the course of literature. Their journey to honor Shakespeare’s legacy takes them through the bustling streets of Elizabethan London, weaving together a narrative of love, loss, and laughter.”
The cast includes Drew Doyle, Andy Gordon, Russ Holm, Paige Doyle, Kim Holm, Kate Anders, Dan Overton, Joseph Medina, Seth MacNeely, Ed Thorpe, Kimberlee Wolfson, Sophie Bustetter, Derek Blankenship, Stephani Hemness and Kathy Dorgan, as well as SPSCC students Skylar Augustine and Kai Sale.
Former SPSCC theater students Brennan Tucker and Owen Yates play key roles, assistant director and lighting designer, respectively, in bringing this production to life with the support of current students Kit Pries, Marisol Steltzner and Carrie Thompson behind the scenes.
“We are delighted to be co-producing the show with Centralia College, where the performances will move for a second weekend of performances. I'm so excited to welcome these incredible artists to the stage, to allow our students to work with them, and to invite audiences to playwright Lauren Gunderson's delightful and moving play,” said Dr. Lauren Love, drama professor at SPSCC. “In theatricalizing the love between Shakespeare's friends and among them for his beautiful plays, Gunderson delivers the gift of his legacy to all of us.”
At the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts, admission is a suggested $12 donation and is free for SPSCC students, staff and faculty.
To purchase tickets for the Corbet Theatre performances, visit Centralia College’s drama page at https://www.centralia.edu/pathways/arts-humanities/drama.aspx. More information, including performance dates and times, is available on SPSCC’s online arts and entertainment calendar.
