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The Book of Will

 
at Threshold Repertory Theatre
 
 
by 
Lauren Gunderson

 

 
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Who's Who


Cast

Bailey Aldrich

Ralph Crane / Marcus / Compositor
John Black

Boy Hamlet / Ed Knight / Isaac Jaggard
Lorilyn Harper

Rebecca Heminges/Anne Hathaway Shakespeare
Tara Holwegner

Elizabeth Condell / Emilia Bassano Lanier
Paul O'Brien

Richard Burbage / William Jaggard / Sir Edward Dering
Evan Parry

Ben Jonson
Charley Smith

Alice Heminges / Susannah Shakespeare
Robbie Thomas

Henry Condell
Journey Townsend

The Crier / Bernardo / Barman
Brian Turner

John Heminges

Creative Team

Evan Parry

Director
Corrine Tyo

Stage Manager
Don Brandenburg

Artistic Director, Threshold Repertory Theatre

Crew

 

Evan Parry ---- Director

Corrine Tyo --- Stage Manager

Robbie Thomas --- Lighting Design

Evan Parry --- Sound Design

Tara Holwegner --- Properties

John Black --- Graphic Design

Corrine Tyo --- Light and Sound Board Operator

 

 

Scene Breakdown

Setting: London and Stratford-upon-Avon, England

Time: 1619-1623

Act I, Scenes 1 - 10 and Act 2, Scenes 1 - 8 Various Locations:

John Heminges' Tap House at the Globe

John's home

Henry's home

The office and stage at the Globe

Jaggard's print shop

Emilia Bassano Lanier's house

Ben Jonson's house

Anne Shakespeare's house in Stratford

There will be one 15-minute intermission between acts.

 

Meet the Company


Bailey Aldrich (Ralph Crane / Marcus / Compositor )
Bailey Aldrich is returning to the stage for the first time in nearly eight years. After studying Theatre at the College of Charleston, he left for New York, where he was an audio engineering intern at Dubway Studios. He designed sound for The Journalists Theatre Company. This is his first Threshold Repertory performance.
John Black (Boy Hamlet / Ed Knight / Isaac Jaggard )
John Black, a local actor and artist, has been performing for Charleston audiences for over 20 years. He has been nominated for Charleston City Paper's Best Local Actor twice and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the Broadway World Awards. Amongst his favorite roles: Drew in Rock of Ages, as well as Martin in Seminar (Village Repertory), Peter in Peter and the Starcatcher (Charleston Stage), and Romeo in Romeo & Juliet (Threshold Repertory). John does not like speaking about himself in the third person and thus ends his bio.
Lorilyn Harper (Rebecca Heminges/Anne Hathaway Shakespeare )
Lorilyn Harper is excited to "tread the boards" in another of Lauren Gunderson's plays. She has appeared and directed on Charleston stages since 2016, after several years of performing in Georgia and Texas. Favorite local roles include Zelda in The How & the Why (South of Broad Theatre Company), Maud in Bakersfield Mist (Footlight Players) and Marilyn Dunne in Ripcord (Threshold Repertory Theatre). Most days she can also be found playing the role of the English teacher, in a high school near you.
Tara Holwegner (Elizabeth Condell / Emilia Bassano Lanier)
Tara Holwegner is thrilled to return to the Threshold stage, and honored to celebrate two of her favorite playwrights - the Bard and Lauren Gunderson - on the 400th anniversary of the First Folio! Thanks to Paul, Don, Evan, our cast/crew (some were both!) for playing out this love letter on the boards. Thanks and love to Jake, Leora and my family for joining me in this crazy play called life. Some of Tara’s favorite credits include, Sense and Sensibility, Becky Shaw, Uncle Vanya, Tape (Threshold Repertory); Wonder of the World, Hearts Full of Blood (What If?/Queen St. Playhouse); Motherf**ker with the Hat, Vibrator Play, Up, Killer Joe (Pure Theatre); Proof (Midtown Theatre); Hamlet (HCS); RIII, Titus (Shakes Project). San Diego credits include: Hamlet, Shrew, Much Ado, I Henry IV, 12th Night, and Coriolanus. Tara credits her training to The College of College, P. Metropolus (Chicago Shakes, SOU) and C. Marino (UNCW).
Paul O'Brien (Richard Burbage / William Jaggard / Sir Edward Dering )
Paul O’Brien grew up in Charleston and left to pursue a career in medicine. When he returned, he became a physician at MUSC and was excited to find such a vibrant theatre community. He has performed extensively in Charleston theatre over the past twelve years and has even played an English king on occasion including Henry II in The Lion in Winter and King Arthur in Camelot. Paul most recently played Henry VIII in the Threshold Repertory Theatre / South of Broadway Theatre Company co-production of Wolf Hall. Other favorite roles include George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?, Vershinin in Three Sisters, Voltaire in Emilie, Harry Brock in Born Yesterday, Slim in Of Mice and Men, Dr. Sugar in Suddenly, Last Sumer, Dr. Sweet in Bug, Ghost/Player King in Hamlet, Daddy Warbucks in Annie, and Juan Peron in Evita. He currently serves on the board and staff of Threshold Theatre.
Evan Parry (Ben Jonson)
See Director's biography.
Charley Smith (Alice Heminges / Susannah Shakespeare )
Charley Smith is thrilled to be returning to the Threshold stage, where she was last seen in Becky Shaw. Some favorite roles include Jo (Little Women), Catherine (Proof), Clea (Black Comedy), Laurel Parker (Byhalia, Mississippi), Mrs. Gibbs (Our Town), and Susy Hendrix (Wait Until Dark). A fierce thank you to her beloved cub wrangler and eternal champion, without whom she could not tread the boards she has so missed.
Robbie Thomas (Henry Condell )
Robbie Thomas is a “Best of Charleston” and League of Charleston Theatres Award winning actor. He has spent the last 22 years performing on stages across the Lowcountry. He studied at the College of Charleston where he discovered his love of Shakespeare under the direction of Evan Parry in the Shakespeare Project’s production of Twelfth Night. His adoration for the Bard was so intense that he returned to perform in the Shakespeare Project every year for the next 10 years until it ceased to exist. He carried that love with him to the Village Repertory Company, where he served as the Associate Artistic Director for 8 seasons, while they were in residence at the Woolfe Street Playhouse. While there, he helped to mount Village Rep’s first forays into Shakespeare with critically acclaimed productions of Macbeth and Othello. In total, he and director, Evan Parry, have collaborated on 10 of Shakespeare’s plays.
Journey Townsend (The Crier / Bernardo / Barman)
Journey Townsend is a student at Fort Dorchester High School (FDHS). This is her first performance in the Charleston Theatre scene. Previous credits include the title role in The Wiz, Aunt Eller in Oklahoma! and Ken in Red. Journey is a member with the International Thespian Society and serves as a leader for FDHS Theatre and the African American Students of Leadership Club at her school. Journey is a cinephile and inspiring big sister to many adorable siblings. She's grateful to make her premiere with this ensemble. Break legs everyone!
Brian Turner (John Heminges)
Brian Turner has been involved with Charleston theater since 2011. In addition, he has been an active member of Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, Madison, and Seattle theater communities. Brian most recently appeared at Threshold Repertory as Cardinal Wolsey in Wolf Hall, a co-production with South of Broadway Theatre Company.
Evan Parry (Director)
Evan Parry (he/him) is a member of the faculty of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the College of Charleston. He serves as Head of Theatre Performance, teaching a variety of Acting and Movement courses including Acting Shakespeare and Stage Combat. He also teaches in the Film Studies Minor. Most recently at the College, Evan directed another Lauren Gunderson play, the Jane Austen-inspired Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, which was invited to submit for competition at the Region 4 Festival of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. He has received numerous KCACTF commendations for Directing, Fight Directing and Sound Design. He also has a long history with plays by and about Shakespeare, including directing productions at Woolfe Street Playhouse of Macbeth and Othello, fight directing Shakespeare in Love at Charleston Stage and co-founding The Shakespeare Project at CofC, a program which took Shakespeare on tour as well as producing the Bard’s works in Charleston over a period of 11 years. Among the actors you will see this evening are performers who distinguished themselves in productions by The Shakespeare Project: Robbie Thomas, Charley Smith, Tara Denton Holwegner and Paul O’Brien.
Corrine Tyo (Stage Manager)
Corrine Tyo received her BFA in Acting and Masters in Arts Leadership from Syracuse University. While in grad school, she interned with SU Arts Engage and developed residency opportunities for SU students with international artists including Kronos Quartet, Meredith Monk and Diavolo Dance Theatre. She also served as the Managing Director of the Syracuse Fringe Festival. Following grad school, Corinne worked as the Lead Teaching Artist for Syracuse Stage. In 2016, she moved back home to Charleston to be the Theatre Director for Fort Dorchester High School. Previous acting credits with Threshold Repertory include Much Ado About Nothing (Leonato) and The Tempest (Trinculo).
Don Brandenburg (Artistic Director, Threshold Repertory Theatre)
Don is a veteran of Charleston theatre, having either performed in, produced or directed over 100 productions, all while managing his job as a civil engineer. Don has worked with a number of other area theatre companies and previously held the position of Artistic Director of The Footlight Players. Don worked with Charleston Stage Company, appearing in their production of Murder on the Orient Express. In March, he played Frank in Charleston Stage's production of Native Gardens. Some of his favorite acting roles include Bill in The Jacksonian, (Threshold Repertory), Vanya in Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike (Footlight Players) and Andre Thibault in the musical production, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Footlight Players). Treasured directing credits include To Kill a Mockingbird (Charleston Stage), Della's Diner (Threshold Rep) and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Footlight Players).

 

 

 

SPECIAL THANKS

We extend a special THANK YOU to the following for their support of this production.

Muse Restaurant and Wine Bar

Buxton Books

Charleston Library Society

Lakayla Henryhand for production photography