There will be Shakespeare in Keizer this summer. Kind of.
Keizer Homegrown Theatre’s production of Lauren Gunderson’s The Book of Will, opens on Friday, July 14. The show will run for six performances on the theatre’s stage at the Keizer Cultural Center.
The Book of Will is presented by Capitol Auto Group.
The dramedy tells the story of how William Shakespeare’s friends and associates endeavor to save the legacy of The Bard by publishing a book of his plays.
They undertake their mission with pluck and wit and hearts full of joy. It’s a theatrical, beat-the-clock race to save a legacy, offering some of Shakespeare’s greatest hits.
William Shakespeare wrote his plays in pieces, never putting all the parts together until the actors were on stage, for fear of someone stealing his work. But who’s to stop people from stealing it after he dies? This is the conundrum faced by the Bard’s buddies in The Book of Will. When a sub-par Hamlet rip-off hits a stage near the Globe Theatre, members of Shakespeare’s acting troupe, the King’s Men, are incensed. To try to put an end to the plagiarism and save Will’s works for the ages, they hatch a plan to put it all down on paper, setting them off on a mad chase to find all the bits and pieces to create the First Folio.
Eighteen actors fill the stage that constantly changes from a local tap house to the Globe Theatre. The acting company is comprised of veteran Keizer Homegrown actors and newcomers.
The show is directed by Linda Baker, founder of KHT, and its current board president.
Performances are 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, through July 29 with 2 p.m. matinees on Sundays through July 30.
Tickets, $15, can be reserved at keizerhomegrowntheatre.org. Admission is free for those with an Oregon Trail card.
Keizer Cultural Center is located at 980 Chemawa Rd. NE.