Will and Whimsy: Sixteen Dramatically Illustrated Sonnets of Shakespeare
by Alan Haehnel
Shakespeare's Sonnets come alive in this play where modern scenes play hand in hand with the original text. Very flexible casting.
Average Producer Rating:
About 50 minutes
Times given are approximate and do not include intermissions/scene changes/breaks
8
8 Any Gender, Expandable to 35
Simple Set
43 pages
Reviews from Past Producers
Shakespeare stands before you. A book of sonnets in his hands. His sonnets. 154 of them. Will you take the book? Will you read the sonnets?
NO WAY!!!!!!
Shakespeare isn't meant to be read. He's meant to be performed, shouted, loved, wept with, cursed over, died for, fought for, bled for!
You might think that's a bit much. Somewhat over-emotional. You can't understand a word Shakespeare says, and now you're supposed to get choked up? And bleed? Over Sonnets?
Fair enough. Start with Will and Whimsy. Modern scenes play hand in hand with the original text.
The sonnets come alive. No bleeding. We promise.
This is a vignette play! What is a Vignette Play?
Characters
8
8 Any Gender, Expandable to 35
Characters in this play are currently identified as male or female. Directors are welcome to assign any gender (binary or non-binary) to any character and modify pronouns accordingly.
-
BARD
67 lines
- Several monologues
SONNET 116
-
BARD
5 lines
-
JOSH
[A]
14 lines
- A man in the midst of proposal.
-
LAURA
[A]
11 lines
- A lovebird whose faith is true.
-
BILL
[A]
18 lines
- A specialist in pre-nuptual agreements. Not exactly a romantic.
SONNET 89
-
BARD
4 lines
-
JAKE
[A]
23 lines
- A jilted lover trying to win his ex’s heart back. Will change in whatever way it takes.
-
JESSICA
[A]
21 lines
- Jake’s ex-girlfriend. Wise in the ways of self-worth.
SONNET 130
-
BARD
4 lines
-
STEVE
[A]
9 lines
- Not much of a poet, but his heart is in the right place.
-
MARYANNE
[A]
9 lines
- Self-conscious about her appearance. Wants to measure up to the other girls.
SONNET 29
-
BARD
6 lines
-
KAREN
[A]
6 lines
- A self-conscious girl who worries about having friends.
-
BILBO
0 lines
- Karen’s loyal dog. No lines. Some barking and yipping.
SONNET 90
-
BARD
3 lines
-
BOB
[A]
22 lines
- A depressed guy with a foot fungus, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
-
CAROL
[A]
7 lines
- Bob’s girlfriend. Sorely tested when Bob reminds her of all his faults.
SONNET 73
-
BARD
4 lines
-
RICK
[A]
13 lines
- A young man, bidding farewell to some childhood objects.
-
MOM
[A]
1 line
- Rick’s mother. One line offstage.
-
VOICE
[A]
15 lines
- Rick’s old, once-cherished blanket. Knows how to tug at the old heartstrings.
SONNET 138
-
BARD
4 lines
-
MARNEETA
[A]
14 lines
- Old woman with bad eyesight and good sense of humour.
-
EARL
[A]
11 lines
- Old man. A romantic at heart.
SONNET 129
-
BARD
4 lines
-
KALEE
[A]
7 lines
- One friend obsessed with eating the last candy. Meets a bitter end by a sweet treat.
-
ASHLEY
[A]
7 lines
- A second friend obsessed with eating the last candy.
-
JONICA
[A]
5 lines
- A third friend obsessed with eating the last candy.
SONNET 120
-
BARD
4 lines
-
CARMEN
[A]
16 lines
- A mathematically-minded ex-friend. Wants to be left alone.
-
RACHEL
[A]
14 lines
- A mathematically-minded ex-friend. Wants a second chance.
SONNET 146
-
BARD:
4 lines
-
MINDY
[A]
15 lines
- A girl who has lost much, but gained an inner-peace.
-
CORY
[A]
10 lines
- A materialistic friend who wants to help Mindy with a trip to the mall.
-
DARLENE
[A]
5 lines
- A second friend who wants to help Mindy the only way she knows how.
SONNET 2
-
BARD
4 lines
-
SCOTT
[A]
28 lines
- A man confronted by the threat of old age. He doesn’t like what he sees.
-
MARTHA
[A]
28 lines
- A woman with a vision of the future and a secret in her pocket.
SONNET 76
-
BARD
3 lines
-
SAL
[A]
23 lines
- A lovestruck agent, desperate to hear his beloved artist croak a new tune.
-
MARLA
[A]
22 lines
- A lizard-loving songstress with a case of writer’s block.
SONNET 44
-
BARD
4 lines
-
MAX
[A]
20 lines
- A love-struck science-fiction fan. Has long-distance love down to a science.
-
BARB
[A]
20 lines
- Max’s long-suffering love. Knows their long-distance love is a fiction.
SONNET 64
-
BARD
4 lines
-
JON
[A]
20 lines
- A young boy, making castles in the sand.
-
SALLY
[A]
20 lines
- A young girl, making castles in the sand.
SONNET 57
-
BARD
4 lines
-
FIONA
[A]
24 lines
- A smitten girl, waiting on a very-important call from a bad boy boyfriend.
-
JUNE
[A]
24 lines
- A savvy girl who thinks June’s boyfriend is just bad, full-stop.
SONNET 23
-
BARD
4 lines
-
BILLY
[A]
17 lines
- A nervous man who takes three long seconds to say three little words.
-
JANINE
[A]
13 lines
- Billy’s patient friend, who knows the hardest things in this world might be written rather than said.
- Subgenres
- Romantic comedy Shakespeare Adaptation
- Settings
- Present day
- Dress
- Contemporary costumes
- Audience
- All audiences Pre-teen Teen
- Features
- Mime Poetry Student directors Variable length Variable Cast Size
- Set
- Simple set
- Themes
- Adolescence Betrayal Body image Childhood Death Friendship Love Memory Individuality Jealousy Peer pressure Relationships Self-image Depression
- Cross-Curricular Uses
- Shakespeare English
- Other uses
- Audition material Class work
Prop List
Sonnet 130
fashion magazine, mirror
Sonnet 29
fishbowl, fish food
Sonnet 90
book or magazine
Sonnet 73
trash bag filled with clothes, blanket
Sonnet 138
newspaper, two coffee mugs, toast, (may be mimed) plate (may be mimed)
Sonnet 129
a chocolate (possibly mimed)
Sonnet 120
homework, calculator, scientific scale with weights
Sonnet 2
mirror, pregnancy test
Sonnet 76
guitar, sheets with lyrics
Sonnet 44:
phones (possibly mimed)
Sonnet 57
cell phone
Sonnet 23
journal
Production Photos
Multimedia
Related Titles
Customer Comments
I have thoroughly enjoyed directing my last three shows - The Canterbury Tales, Will and Whimsy, and Circus Olympus. They are excellent adaptations, creatively conceived and written and classically based, all characteristics I look for in a high school show.
I am retiring this year after directing 63 high school shows over 38 years, but I will encourage my successor to check out your cataglogue of plays.
We recently performed Will and Whimsy at Rockdale County High School and also took it to the local Georgia One-Act Competition, too!
Not only did the audience eat up every scene, but the students walked away with the MOST awards (5) out of Nine Schools! The judges remarked that this play was a true breath of fresh air! I thank you for offering this awesome play, and we look forward to working with your fine company in the near future!
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Royalty fees apply to all performances whether or not admission is charged. Any performance in front of an audience (e.g. an invited dress rehearsal) is considered a performance for royalty purposes.
Exemption details for scenes and monologues for competition.
Will and Whimsy: Sixteen Dramatically Illustrated Sonnets of Shakespeare
by Alan Haehnel
About 50 minutes
Times given are approximate and do not include intermissions/scene changes/breaks
8
8 Any Gender, Expandable to 35
Simple Set
43 pages