Recommended for High Schools and Middle Schools
Shakespeare's Sonnets come alive in this play where modern scenes play hand in hand with the original text. Very flexible casting.
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
Average Producer Rating:
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 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.
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!
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
Not sure what you need to order? Check out our pricing and ordering guide.
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.
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
A vignette play is a collection of short scenes on a theme. You'll love working with the variety and flexibility of the scenes. Your actors will love the fast pace and fun characters.
There's more. Every Theatrefolk vignette play holds the unexpected. A showcase monologue. A dramatic moment. A change in form. A left turn.
Ideal for classwork, competitions, and more!
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