The Book of Will Auditions

Auditions for the Book of Will will be held on Sunday, August 22nd at 3pm.

Without William Shakespeare, we wouldn’t have literary masterpieces like Romeo and Juliet. But without Henry Condell and John Heminges, we would have lost half of Shakespeare’s plays forever! After the death of their friend and mentor, the two actors are determined to compile the First Folio and preserve the words that shaped their lives. They’ll just have to borrow, beg, and band together to get it done. Amidst the noise and color of Elizabethan London, THE BOOK OF WILL finds an unforgettable true story of love, loss, and laughter, and sheds new light on a man you may think you know.

Characters

HENRY CONDELL – 40s, feisty, hopeful friend and actor in The King’s Men

JOHN HEMINGES – 50s, reasonable friend and financial manager of The King’s Men; owner of The Globe Tap House, a good man, a gentleman, a bit serious

RICHARD BURBAGE – 50s, seasoned lion of the stage; famous across England, loud and proud

ALICE HEMINGES – 35ish, John’s daughter and alewife, knows everybody and hangs with the boys

BOY HAMLET – young actor, 17 to 25

 BARMAN – any age, ruffian

BARMAN 2 – any age, drunkard

BEN JONSON –  50s, Poet Laureate of England, friend/rival of Shakespeare. Amazing drunk, bear of a man that is surprisingly weepy 

ELIZABETH CONDELL – Henry’s wife, 30 to 40, savvy and fun

REBECCA HEMINGES – 50 – John’s wife, a good wife, strong, busy with their grocery business, loves her husband, family, and God

ED KNIGHT – stage manager for The King’s Men. Self-serious and particular

RALPH CRANE – 30 to 50s – humble clerk of The King’s Men. Quick, sure, quiet

WILLIAM JAGGARD- 40 to 60s – successful, if shady publisher of books, plays, and playbills. Confident, experienced, connected, an ass.

ISAAC JAGGARD – 20s, William’s son, will inherit the business. Sensitive, an artist at heart

MARCUS – 20s, printer’s apprentice in the Jaggard print shop, nosy but honest

COMPOSITOR – works for Jaggard, young

EMILIA BASSANO LANIER - 50 ish Italian feminist and poet, lover of life (and of Shakespeare).

ANNE HATHAWAY SHAKESPEARE – 60, Shakespere’s now ailing wife. Strong willed, classy, a survivor

SUSANNAH SHAKESPEARE – 30, good girl and daughter of Shakespeare

 CRIER – newsboy

BERNARDO, FRANCISICO, one actor playing two stage roles

SIR EDWARD DERING -60s book and theatre lover

HORATIO

FRUIT SELLER

 MARCELLUS