Review: THE BOOK OF WILL at Torrance Theatre Company
Recounts the Creation of Shakespeare’s First Folio
While there may be lingering doubt as to the real identity of William Shakespeare, no one can doubt his influence on mankind via his plays and sonnets about human nature. Seven years after his death in 1623, thirty-six of his plays were saved by John Heminges and Henry Condell, members of Shakespeare's The King's Men acting company, who worked with him at the Globe Theater. Through their heroic efforts, the two men compiled and published the definite collection which became known as the First Folio. Without this effort, roughly half of his plays, including Macbeth and The Tempest, would likely have been lost forever.
Mark Piatelli as John Heminges and Johnathan Strand as Henry Condell work together to save the original plays of William Shakespeare.
THE BOOK OF WILL by Lauren Gunderson shares the true story of how and why Heminges and Condell decided to preserve Shakespeare’s work from being forgotten or misrepresented through poor, pirated versions by combing various sources by including original scripts, prompt books, and actor cue sheets, to assemble the collection. The action takes place in London and Stratford-upon-Avon from 1619-1623, during the creation of the First Folio.
Connor Foley as Hamlet
Now onstage at Torrance Theatre Company and directed by Richard Perloff, who “has been acting, directing and teaching Shakespeare’s plays for the better part of a half-century,” and still feels that he’s “barely scratched the surface,” no doubt given all the various interpretations of lines and characters’ motivations in such detailed scripts about universal human behavior. Such is the wonder of the Bard’s great works, which still speak to us more than four centuries after his death. So, it was with great anticipation as a fellow Theatre teacher, director, and performer in many of his masterful plays that I attended the opening night performance of the production.
With a cast of ten actors portraying more than 26 characters, requiring several scene and costume changes, it was bold choice for the intimate theater. But thanks to Perloff’s direction and choice of actors, anyone with the slightest interest in Shakespeare will find the play and its characters captivating as well as informative about the time during which The Bard’s plays were performed and then published for future generations to enjoy.
Jennifer Moody, Mark Piatelli, Johnathan Strand, Rachel Levy
The cast includes Johnathan Strand as Henry Condell and Mark Piatelli as John Heminges, the only actors who portray the same characters throughout, weaving their way through the people and places who touched The Bard’s life. The two actors are convincing as friends and fellow actors who assist and challenge each other to achieve their final goal to honor their mentor. After gathering the plays and publishing the First Folio in 1623, both men died within a few years of each other in 1627 and 1630.
Perry Shields as Richard Burbage
Along the way we first meet Perry Shields as Richard Burbage who became involved with William Shakespeare primarily as the star actor and business partner in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men acting company formed in 1594. As the premier tragedian of his time, Burbage acted as the primary lead in most of Shakespeare’s major plays - including Hamlet, Othello, Richard III, and King Lear - and co-owned The Globe Theatre with him. Burbage’s death in 1619 following Shakespeare’s death in 1616 served as the catalyst for Condell and Heminges decision to save as many of the original plays as possible.
Don Schlossman (center)
Among the many characters populating THE BOOK OF WILL is Ben Jonson (Johnson in the program), a prominent contemporary, friend, and theatrical rival to Shakespeare who criticized his artistic methods. Jonson's works were more closely associated with classicism and courtly masques whereas Shakespeare's work tended toward broader imaginative themes. The two were known to engage in lively, competitive wit-combats at the Mermaid Tavern, and with standout actor Don Schlossman bringing his sense of swagger to the role, those scenes are a highlight in the play thanks to their raucous behavior and close-knit bonds of friendship among theatre kinsmen on display. Despite their differences, Jonson wrote a significant commendatory poem for the 1623 First Folio.
Don Schlossman and Maire Rose
Schlossman also portrays Sir Edward Dering (Deering in the program), a 17th-century Kentish baronet, antiquarian, and early enthusiast of Shakespeare, best known for purchasing the first recorded copy of the First Folio in 1623. He was a patron of the arts who adapted Shakespeare's Henry IV and staged private theatricals. But Condell and Heminges noted the differences in his adaptations and did their best to place only the most authentic renditions in the First Folio.
Mark Piatelli as John Heminges, Perry Shields as Richard Burbage, Maire Rose as Alice Heminges and Johnathan Strand as Henry Condell.
Among the wives, family members, fruit sellers, and barmaids in the ensemble are Maire Rose who relishes her role as Alice Heminges, John's 35-year-old daughter and an alewife who knows everyone and loves hanging out with the boys, and Susana Shakespeare, the eldest daughter of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway who inherited most of her father’s estate, which contained many of his plays included in the First Folio.
Rachel Levy, Maire Rose and Jennifer Moody
Rachel Levy portrays Henry’s wife Elizabeth Condell and three others, with impressive Jennifer Moody as Rebecca Heminges, John’s strong and devoted wife always busy with their grocery business who has weathered much while loving her husband, her sons, and God. And no matter the challenges faced, she continues to support supports her husband's efforts to publish Shakespeare's First Folio.
Jennifer Moody as Rebecca Heminges and Mark Piatelli as John Heminges
Rebecca passes away from illness during the play during a poignant scene depicting her final words and John's subsequent grief. Their final scene together is heart wrenching, but having Moody get up and walk off stage after dying with the lights still on made me wonder if we were to assume this was her ghost leaving with a look back at her grieving husband or just a way to get the actor offstage quickly to allow for a scene and costume change.
Mark Piatelli as John Heminges and Johnathan Strand as Henry Condell
John is again inspired to continue with compiling The Bard’s plays when Henry reminds him mid overwhelming grief after the death of his wife, “In times of sadness, laughter makes us feel alive, and it’s okay to let your emotions out inside a theater.” And that is still true, and always will be. It’s why we need theater during times of trouble, be it within ourselves or society.
Mark Piatelli, Bryan Eid, and Perry Shields
Other characters include Perry Shields as the old, sick, and blind Elizabethan printer and publisher Will Jaggard who, along with his son Issac (Bryan Eid), printed the seminal First Folio in 1623. Eid also portrays Ed Knight, the bookkeeper who maintained and curated the dramatic manuscripts for Shakespeare’s The King's Men troupe, likely protecting the scripts of Shakespeare in the First Folio as well as the work of his contemporaries.
Johnathan Strand, Mark Piatelli (standing), Canute Peterson, and Bryan Eid
Rounding out the ensemble are Canute Peterson, most notably as Ralph Crane, a professional scribe or "playhouse scrivener" for the King's Men who prepared transcripts of several plays for the 1623 First Folio, and was crucial for preserving texts of The Tempest and others. And Conner Foley as the Town Crier and actors in Shakespeare’s plays.
Many worked on compiling Shakespeare's orginal plays into his First Folio.
I am sharing this character information for readers who plan to attend the production, as it would have helped greatly if information about them would have been included in THE BOOK OF WILL program to clarify their roles relating to Shakespeare, especially since with so many scene and costume changes (not to negate the movable scenic design by Cary Jordahl or beautiful costumes designed by Diana Mann), it was difficult to keep track of who we were seeing and how each character fit into The Bard’s life. And although seemingly a bit under-rehearsed on opening night, no doubt as the weeks pass actors will become more in tune with their roles, scene, and costume changes to bring a greater sense of authenticity to the production.
THE BOOK OF WILL performances continue through April 25, 2026 on Thursdays at 7 pm (followed by Q & A), Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 2 pm (4/11, 4/18 & 4/25), Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 2 pm at Torrance Theatre Company, 1316 Cabrillo Ave. in Torrance, CA 90501, presented through special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
Tickets are available online at https://torrancetheatre.easy-ware-ticketing.com/events, via email to FriendsofTTC@gmail.com, or by calling the box office at 424-243-6882. Run time is approximately two hours with an intermission. Free onsite parking and on local streets; please read parking restriction signs carefully.
The Torrance Theatre Company is a program of the Cultural Services Division of the Torrance Community Services Department. www.TorranceCA.Gov. Sponsored in part by Friends of Torrance Theatre Company, a recognized 501c3.
Production photo credit: Miguel (Mickey) Elliot
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