By Andrea Johnson
Last night, I was privileged to attend the final dress rehearsal of Zion Theatre Company’s world premiere production of The Drown’ed Book: or the History of William Shakespeare, Part Last at The Castle Theatre in Provo, Utah.
This work is an original piece, written and directed by Mahonri Stewart, which details the life of William Shakespeare in his later years. Stewart is not new to the playwriting scene, having over 20 productions under his belt. He is the recipient of awards from the Kennedy Center, the Hale Center Theatre, and LDS Film Festival. I asked Stewart what he wanted people to know about the piece, and he said, “Well, it’s in iambic pentameter.” We both laughed, but I was genuinely impressed. Having written a few sonnets in my writing history, I know the struggle of a mere 14 lines of that meter, and truly, the writing of this piece is remarkable. Stewart has taken great pains to stay true to Elizabethan language and verbiage, even down to the beauty of the soliloquy. Devotees of Shakespeare will enjoy the high language, the verbal sparring, and the witty repartee. Casual theater goers will love the puns, the putdowns, and the situational humor. We groaned, chuckled, and laughed long and loud. It was a delightful evening for any lover of words.
William Shakespeare, played exquisitely by Bradley Moss, is at once brooding, silly, passionate, sullen, offended, and defensive. Moss plays Will Shakespeare as an emotionally charged artist, with all of the variations and nuances you would expect from a brilliant genius. Moss dances easily from witty banter to aggressive defensiveness, from inspired lover to forlorn father, from passionate artist to wounded soul. He commits fully to the wide spectrum of his bipolar nature, and I loved him and hated him in the same minute. One of my favorite fun moments was his manipulation of his oldest daughter into accepting a proposal of marriage through his rant against “the Puritan” suitor. Moss presents a deliciously flawed human being in Will, and we were sucked into his life madness fully. I also loved his interactions with his family members, but especially the on and off nature of his relationship with his wife.
Shawnda Moss, as Will’s wife, Anne, is delightful and powerful. She commands attention and draws her family around her. The conflict between her love for her husband versus the aching and emptiness when Will is away with his theater family is palpable, and is a conflict anyone in the theater world understands. Ms. Moss is a powerhouse of an actress, and her relationship with Will is touching and painful, as all good love stories are. Their playful banter of the early scenes is contrasted well with the painful and emotional reality of the second act. She wounds Will early in regards to her faithfulness: “It is not my heart I question, but thy feet.”
Will’s two daughters, Judith and Susannah, played respectively by Zel Bromley and Belinda Purdum, bring disparate emotions and relationships to the Shakespeare family dynamic. Unlike her compliant and dutiful older sister, Bromley’s Judith is wild, willful, and defiant. Bromley is fully invested in the physical and vocal defiance of Shakespeare’s youngest daughter. Bromley plays Judith to the fullest, but especially in her interactions with her bellicose suitor, Thomas Quiney (Sam Schofield.) She chides him, “If thou would suffer, court me to thy doom.”
Schofield spits out the character of Quiney like a foul spoonful of food. Charmingly and playfully antagonistic around Judith, Quiney has no love lost for Will, and accosts him physically and verbally early in the show, decrying both his writing as well as his theater. Schofield’s Quiney is decadent. Physically present on the stage and vocally present in his delivery, Schofield is the perfect foil for both Will and Judith. In response to Will’s question of his intentions toward the women of his house, he replies, “ignored fields are eaten by cows.” I had actually grown to like his puckish character before I was stabbed in the heart in the second act, but I will leave the details of that discovery to you.
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In stark contrast to her younger sister, Purdum’s treatment of the older and calmer Susannah is as a gentle peacemaker. Purdum is soft in her delivery, but holds her own space, and her respect for her mother and father is genuine and tender. Her suitor, John Hall, played by Peter F. Christensen, continues the theme of peacekeeping and tenderness, although he does defend the family against the brashness of Quiney. Christensen has stepped into this role admirably and plays it well. I am excited to see the show again and see how he has grown into the role. (Yes, I am going to see this show again during this run.)
Hamnet’s ghost also makes an appearance. Hamnet (played by Hyrum Stewart) was Shakespeare’s only son, who lost his life at an early age, and whose illness and the circumstances surrounding his subsequent death weigh heavily on the Shakespeare family, and indeed color their relationships, interactions, and engagements. Young Stewart is a powerful presence, and his portrayal is delightful and poignant. The ghost of Hamnet appears at pivotal moments in the show, and truly affects the other players.
The costumes are lush and beautiful, and the set is simple yet elegant. The Castle venue is gorgeous, and we were impressed not only with the view of the setting sun, but the literal immersion of the show into the surroundings. There are a few references to the moon that caused my friend and me to gasp in astonishment, and some eerily-timed flights of birds that were delightful. I understand that that director could not have accounted for these directly, but the totality of the venue space against the play content was impressive.
As my companion and I arrived at the venue, we were a little confused as to parking and location, so here are my insider tips. First, mapping apps will get you to the end of Center Street, but may not navigate you to the venue. When you can no longer go east, turn to the north. There is plenty of parking to the north of the hospital, and limited parking on the next two levels of the park surrounding The Castle. The driveway to the park area below the amphitheater as well as further up to the top side of the amphitheater is paved, but a single lane, so continue up at your own risk, as you may or may not be able to navigate back down. Second, the entrance to the theater is downhill from the amphitheater castle structure, so you will be coming in at stage level and then walking up to the seating. Third, the seating is stone steps that have been warmed by the summer sun. I recommend bringing good cushions (we used stadium seats and a yoga mat) and shoes designed to go up and down stone steps. We brought blankets, assuming that it would cool down when the sun went down, and while they were fine for the shoulders, we actually were still quite warm from the heated stone and really did not need anything extra. The venue provides a small concessions stand with water and treats, so bring some dollars for that.
The Drown’ed Book is a play for lovers. Lovers of words will find themselves immersed in language that exceeds the tweet, elevates the senses, and enlarges the mind. Lovers of relationships will enjoy the banter, the interplay, and the realism presented. There are more than a few delicious digs against marriage, set brilliantly against all that is good of marriage and falling in love. Lovers of love, come see this show. Come witness all the brands of love: passionate, stale, parental, new, old, and even abysmal and horrid love. Come and see, lovers of life. Come and be immersed in this story, in the language of Shakespeare, and in the beauty of this place we call home.
Zion Theatre Company presents of The Drown’ed Book; or the History of William Shakespeare, Part Last, by Mahonri Stewart The Castle Theatre, 1300 East Center Street, Provo, Utah August 25-26, 28, September 1-2 7:30 PM Tickets: $10-12 Contact: 801-822-6504 Facebook Page Facebook Event
Mahonri Stewart, Bradley Moss, Shawnda Moss, Zel Bromley, Sam Schofield, Belinda Purdum, Peter F. Christensen, Hyrum Stewart, Andrea Johnson
My husband and I REALLY enjoyed this play !!! It did feel as though Shakespeare is still with us. Most of us are illiterate regarding the personal life of this great writer. This production should be available in every high school, college, theater and community. Cedar City Shakespearian Festival — heads up !!! Let’s get this wonderful history on the road !!!