With captivating acting, Bruka Theatre’s newest show The Book of Will is an immersive play bound to be enjoyable, a must see for Shakespeare nerds and a delight for those who enjoy being transported in time.
Here, actors play actors who engage in a battle to save the legacy of William Shakespeare, the playwright and poet who was also an actor for the King’s Men theatre company, under English royal patronage in the 17th century.
After his death in 1616 at the age of 52 in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, his fellow actors are determined to preserve the words he so eloquently wrote.
Pieces of Shakespearean plays are woven through their interactions making The Book of Will a bit of an inside joke for any theater aficionado.
Even for those less knowledgeable of the legendary writer, the production is a captivating history lesson on the royal theatre company’s efforts to compile a published catalog of Shakespeare’s plays.
The many ups and downs of their theater quest leave the audience in suspense.
Put together with a small cast of actors, the quick costume changes are hard to notice at first. This speaks to the talent of Bruka Theatre’s actors and production.
At times there were only seconds between a character exiting and a completely new character entering, both played by the same actor or actress.
Not only does the content of the play and the wild comedy of actors playing actors on stage draw the audience into the world of the early 1600s but the costumes and design of the set do as well.
Set director Lew Zeumeyer worked on the design for eight weeks, a fast turnaround in the theater business.
Backdropped by the side tavern of the Elizabethan Globe Theatre, first built in 1599 for Shakespeare’s plays, the handcrafted set we now have here in Reno pulls the audience straight in.
“This is my baby!” Stacey Spain, director of the Bruka Theatre’s production of The Book of Will explained, as the play was previewed for members of the local media including Our Town Reno.
It’s alive now and being shown at Bruka Theatre throughout March, with a debut tonight.
