Dive deeper into William Shakespeare, King Lear, plague times and creativity during crisis with Next Act Theatre and the Department of English.
Between Thursday, April 27, and Sunday, May 21, Next Act Theatre will present the world premiere of “God’s Spies” by Bill Cain. A lawyer, a sex worker and a playwright walk into a room. And then they stay. Shakespeare (Shax) runs London’s most popular theatre, but now he’s forced to shelter inside due to an outbreak of plague. With the theatres closed and no distractions, what’s left to be done? Write a new masterpiece! Assisted by two unlikely companions, Shax (and Bill Cain, author of four past Next Act productions) explore the mysteries of life, love and death while navigating the complexities of a world under quarantine lockdown.
A panel will follow the Saturday, May 6, performance at 4:30 p.m. After the show, return to Marquette’s campus for a discussion in AMU 157.
The panel will start around 7 p.m. and feature a roundtable with John Curran, Shakespeare expert in the Department of English; Meg Paonessa, creative writer in the Department of English; and a representative from Next Act Theatre. The panel will be moderated by Gerry Canavan, chair of English in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences.
Desserts, coffee and tea will be provided.
Save on tickets by using code ENGLMU at nextact.org, when calling (414) 278-0765 or in-person to save 30% on standard-priced adult tickets to the 4:30 p.m. May 6 performance. Once you’ve got your tickets, RSVP to the roundtable by emailing Canavan.