Bagley Wright Theatre Equivocation Written by Bill Cain Directed by Bill Rauch November 18 - December 13, 2009 Running Time: 2 hours and 55 minutes with one intermission
Historical figures and events inspired Bill Cain’s Equivocation—but as in any artistic work, urban legends and Cain’s imagination created certain plot points. Here’s a look at the truth and fiction of the characters featured in the play.
THE KING’S MEN
The acting troupe formed in 1594 as “Lord Chamberlain’s Men.” In 1603, Britain’s King James I assumed financial sponsorship of the company, changing its name to “The King’s Men.”
Shag: We know him as William Shakespeare, but “Shagspeare” is Bill Cain’s favorite of the many spellings for the name. Shag, about 42 years old during the events of Equivocation, occasionally acted but was primarily the troupe’s playwright.
Richard: Based on Richard Burbage, he is the managing director of the company. As in this play, the real Richard ran the troupe with Shakespeare from its inception. Additionally, Richard played some of Shakespeare’s most famous characters, including King Lear, Othello, and Hamlet.
Sharpe: This character is inspired by Richard Sharpe, an actor who began his tenure with The King’s Men as an apprentice portraying female characters. Bill Cain’s Sharpe is a young, handsome man who is quite aware of his own talent but extremely dedicated to acting.
Nate: Nathan Field was an actor in The King’s Men. In Equivocation, Nate is the sensible, level-headed one of the troupe.
Armin: Based on Robert Armin, an actor in The King’s Men who played a variety of clown/jester roles. The historical Armin did in fact play the Fool in King Lear as Armin does in this play.
AND…
Judith: Shag’s daughter, who is the twin sister of the deceased Hamnet. In this play, she and her father have a strained relationship because Shag still mourns her brother’s death, secretly resenting her for surviving. Though we don’t know the nature of the real father/daughter relationship, we do know that Shakespeare primarily lived in London, but kept his wife and children living in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
IN THE ROYAL COURT
King James I: King of England. The son of Mary, Queen of Scots, he was also King James VI of Scotland. The real James wrote a variety of works, including a book on the subject of witchcraft, Daemonologie. In Equivocation, James wants Shag to write a play based on James’s written account of the Gunpowder Plot. And he wants it to have witches.
Sir Robert Cecil: Both in history and on stage in Bill Cain’s play, Cecil arranged for James to take the crown after Queen Elizabeth I refused to designate a successor. Cecil serves as the top royal advisor, wielding great influence upon James’ decisions. Physically, he possesses a short, hunchbacked body. This causes James to nickname him “Beagle”—again, both on stage and in real life.
Sir Edward Coke: Chief prosecutor in the trials of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators. Incidentally, he is Cecil’s brother-in-law.
