With their latest production, “Shakespeare in Love,” the Williamsburg Players celebrate theater, history, comedy, romance and the enduring impact of William Shakespeare. Performances run throughout September at the James-York Playhouse.
“There’s something for the people with PhDs in English literature and the people who just want a romantic comedy,” said director Justin Giroux.
Based on the 1998 film of the same name, which won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, the play adaption debuted in London’s West End in 2014. Giroux said the rights holder, Samuel French Inc., was hesitant to allow a community theater such as the Players to produce the relatively new work.
But given what Giroux calls Williamsburg’s “sophisticated” audience and the area’s history with the Virginia Shakespeare Festival, the case was successfully argued. The Players are the second group to perform the play in Virginia and one of four community theaters in the country to produce it thus far.
“The stars aligned for us,” Giroux said, adding that it fills the void left in the Shakepeare festival’s absence. “I think people need to get their fix of the bard.”
The story tells a fictionalized version of Shakespeare’s journey to creating “Romeo and Juliet,” during which time he falls for Viola de Lesseps, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. The events that unfold are also portrayed as the inspiration behind “Twelfth Night.”
Numerous allusions reference other Shakespearean works such as “Macbeth” and “Hamlet,” and the action incorporates historical figures as well.
The prospect of portraying someone as iconic as Shakespeare might sound daunting, but the Players’ pick for the role, Lawrence Nichols, doesn’t see it that way.
“I thought it was really fun. No one really knows what he’s like,” Nichols said.
The performance follows the playwright as he starts out unsure of himself and his abilities. Along the way, he evolves into the Shakespeare as we know him today.
“That’s really what I’ve been trying to work on,” Lawrence said.
Neil Hollands, the Players’ president and the play’s production manager who performs the role of Tilney, said at the heart of “Shakespeare in Love” exists an honest look at the processes that bring theater to life. It’s people with day jobs doing the best they can, creating art with limited resources.
“I think this is a great show for anyone who loves community theater and the magic that happens out of thin air,” Hollands said.
Tom Stoppard, one of the film’s screenwriters, also works as a playwright, and Holland said his understanding of the world of the theater remains clear.
“It has very much a theatrical pedigree,” he said.
It’s also an eventful play, with a massive 28 scenes spanning its two-hour runtime.
“It’s very Shakespearean in construction. Typically, his plays did have many scenes,” Giroux said.
Beyond drama, comedy and romance, the play incorporates action in a way that’s new for the Players.
“There’s a lot of fight choreography in this show. That’s a new challenge for us,” Hollands said. “There’s a little bit of everything in this play.”
Jessi Dipette, who plays four roles including Viola, said the play provides context for Shakespeare and his work and, while people might walk in with expectations from the film, this is a fresh take.
“It’s a challenge, but a fun challenge,” she said. “The story has something for everyone. Everyone can relate to the feelings of finding yourself.”
Want to go?
“Shakespeare in Love” runs Sept. 7-22 at the James-York Playhouse, 200 Hubband Lane. Tickets are $20 for adults, $12 for students, available at williamsburgplayers.org or by calling 229-0431.
