WHERE THERE’S A WILL THERE’S A WAY

Late in the first act of Lauren Gunderson’s The Book of Will, a character makes an impassioned plea to her husband, John Heminges, one of William Shakespeare’s original troupe of actors. In the immediate context of the play, she’s trying to convince him to take on the herculean task of collecting and publishing Shakespeare’s complete plays in a folio, thus preserving his words for generations to come. But in a larger sense it’s a stirring defense of the value and need of art in the world, regardless of the medium. It is that premise that makes the play richer and more affecting than it has any right to be.

Brendan Hutt, Brittani Yawn

Brendan Hutt, Jesus Barajas, Johnathan Perkins

Performed in the stylish Den Theatre, The Promethean Ensemble’s production of The Book of Will opens with Trevor Dotson’s surprisingly uninspired set featuring a generic tavern, all dull shades and boring lines. One doesn’t expect foofaraw but a little color would have been nice. No matter though, because a few minutes later, once Brendan Hutt (Richard Burbage), Jared Dennis (John Heminges), and Ben Veatch (Henry Condell) take their spots, the set fades into the background in the face of their magnetism and skill.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Ben Veatch, Jared Dennis

The play begins three years after the death of William Shakespeare. His fame is such that his plays have been pirated widely with lesser mummers replacing his lines and because nothing has been written down, no one is the wiser. No one that is, other than the three aforementioned actors—his friends, collaborators, and the last of their troupe—and their wives and friends. Also in the mix is Shakespeare’s rival—I suppose they’d be called frenemies today—Ben Jonson (a very funny James Lewis), the Poet Laureate who spends most of his time carousing and chasing after women.

Jared Dennis, Kevin Sheehan

Furious after witnessing yet another mangling of Hamlet, Richard Burbage launches into a spectacular medley of Shakespeare’s soliloquies, to “show them how it’s done” and then exits to rapturous applause (from both sides of the fourth wall). It’s the last we see of him; the next morning he is no more. His death sends Heminges and Condell into a spiral. Now there are just the two of them left, and what’s worse, Burbage, whose prodigious memory meant that he never forgot a line, has taken Shakespeare’s words with him.

Ben Veatch, Sabine Wan

From here on we follow Heminges and Condell as they try to collect what’s left of the plays and piece them together to restore the original scripts for publication. In this they’re assisted by a scrivener, Ralph Crane (Jonathan Perkins in a charming, self-effacing turn) and their families. There will be battles with unscrupulous publishers, money will run out, and assorted other obstacles that have to be overcome.

Anne Sheridan Smith, Jared Dennis

There is very little tension to be had in this story—we all know the outcome—which makes it even more remarkable how gripping the show is, especially the first act. Director Beth Wolf, aided by a crackerjack cast and some sharp lighting by Jackson Mikkelsen, keeps things moving at a rollicking pace. The jokes come fast and are pitched at exactly the right level of nerdiness—there is a running joke about Pericles that never gets old—and the comic timing of the cast is flawless. Like with its obvious predecessor Shakespeare in Love, familiarity with the Bard’s work will definitely enhance your experience, but I think even a neophyte would be thoroughly entertained.

Jared Dennis, Ben Veatch

Of the supporting cast, Anne Sheridan Smith as Heminges’ wife, Rebecca is a standout; her big monologue—referenced in the first paragraph of this review—is one of the best scenes in the show. As the last of the players from The King’s Men, Dennis, Veatch, and Hutt are superb. I do confess to sorely missing Hutt’s Richard Burbage after his early exit; Hutt imbues the character with exactly the right amount of pomposity, humor, and theatricality. He’s an absolute delight and there is a brief, but noticeable dip in the show at his exit. His William Jaggard, while perfectly fine, is not an adequate substitute.

Kevin Sheehan, Brittani Yawn

Dennis and Veatch play in counterpoint, their performances beautifully calibrated to each other, which is crucial in Act II: with the decision to publish made, and a key character out of the equation, the stakes are much lower and it falls to the actors to keep the momentum going. Gunderson tries to compensate by upping the emotional quotient. It doesn’t quite click despite some spectacular work from Dennis. James Lewis’s big meltdown falls flat and there are multiple montages, or rather, what passed for a montage on stage.

Johnathan Perkins

She pulls it together in the end though with an absolute corker of a last scene involving the entire cast firing on all cylinders bringing the energy to a crescendo before ending in near silence with a single word.

Jared Dennis, James Lewis

Brittani Yawn, Ben Veatch, Jared Dennis

Gunderson’s love for the Bard and language is the secret to this play’s success. It may not be very deep but when written and performed with so much genuine affection and heart, one would have to be a churl not to find it irresistible. Late that night, several hours after coming home from the show, I found myself squatting down in front of one of my bookcases to pull out my copy of The Riverside Shakespeare, and for the first time in ages, I revisited some of my favorite passages.

In my book, that’s a success.

Johnathan Perkins, Brendan Hutt, Kevin Sheehan

photos by Steven Townshend | Distant Era

The Book of Will
Promethean Theatre Ensemble
The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave
Thurs-Sat at 8; Sun at 3; Wed at 8 (Oct 22)
ends on October 25, 2025
for tickets ($25-$30), call 773.697.3830 or visit Den Theatre and Promethean

for more shows, visit Theatre in Chicago