For its 35th production, Promethean Theatre Ensemble will honor the people who preserved Shakespeare’s work for the ages, with Lauren Gunderson’s THE BOOK OF WILL. Gunderson’s comedy begins three years after the Bard’s death, as his former acting company members John Heminges and Henry Condell hear a badly botched version of HAMLET at a nearby theatre. Seeing the need to preserve Will’s works before they fall into obscurity, they become determined to find or recreate all of his plays and publish a definitive collection of them. They set out to compile as many of his manuscripts as possible, going head-to-head against a shady publisher, a drunken poet, shrinking resources, and their own mortality. THE BOOK OF WILL, which was commissioned and first produced by the Denver Center Theatre Company, is a heartfelt tribute to Shakespeare and his enduring impact on literature, combining humor, emotion, and historical insight. THE BOOK OF WILL will be performed from September 18 – October 25 at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. Press opening is Saturday September 20 at 8 pm, following previews September 18 and 19. The production will play through Saturday, October 25.
To direct THE BOOK OF WILL, Promethean Theatre Ensemble has enlisted the uniquely qualified Beth Wolf, who has not only directed 11 of Shakespeare’s plays for her company Midsommer Flight, but also earned Jeff Award nominations for her direction and the overall production of Gunderson’s SILENT SKY at Citadel Theatre in 2024. Leading Wolf’s cast as John Heminges and Henry Condell are Promethean’s Artistic Director Jared Dennis* and Ben Veatch. Dennis’s many roles with PTE include Lord Stanley in RICHARD III and Sir George Crofts in MRS. WARREN’S PROFESSION. Veatch has been seen most recently as The Observer in City Lit’s THE HOUSE OF IDEAS and as Gottfried Swetts in Blank Theater Company’s A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY. PTE ensemble member Brendan Hutt* will play the dual roles of Richard Burbage, the actor who originated many of Shakespeare’s most famous roles, and William Jaggard, a successful if shady publisher of books, plays, and playbills. Hutt, seen most recently in City Lit Theater’s R.U.R. ROSSUM’S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS, is a veteran of many productions with PTE.
The cast also includes Kevin Sheehan* (Ed Knight and Isaac Jaggard), James Lewis (Ben Johnson/Barman 2/Sir Edward Dering), Johnathan Perkins (Ralph Crane/Barman/Compositor/Francisco), Jesús Barajas (Marcus/Boy Hamlet/Crier/Bernardo), Anne Sheridan Smith (Rebecca Heminges/Anne Shakespeare), Sabine Wan (Elizabeth Condell/Emilia Lanier/Fruit Seller/Marcellus), and Brittani Yawn (Alice Heminges/Susannah). Understudies are Michelle Perry (Elizabeth/Rebecca), Andie Dae (Alice), Alexander Garza (Marcus/Ralph Crane), Michael Stejskal (Henry Condell/John Heminges), Nick Dorado (Richard Burbage), and Andre Colin (Ben Johnson/Ed Knight/Isaac Jaggard).
Top row L-R: Jesús Barajas, Jared Dennis, Brendan Hutt, James Lewis, Johnathan Perkins.
Lower row L-R: Kevin Sheehan, Ann Sheridan Smith, Ben Veatch, Sabine Wan, and Brittani Yawn.
The production team includes Rachel M. Sypniewski (Costume Designer), Trevor Dotson (Scenic Designer), Jeremiah Barr* (Technical Director/Props Designer), Piper Kirchofer (Lighting Designer), Alex Trinh (Sound Designer), Courtney Abbott (Intimacy Director), Erin Galvin (Stage Manager), Samantha Barr (Production Manager), and Becca Holloway (Casting Director).
(* indicates Promethean Ensemble Member)
Tickets, priced at $30 general, $25.00 for students/seniors and previews are on sale now at www.thedentheatre.com.
LISTING INFORMATION
THE BOOK OF WILL
By Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Beth Wolf
September 18 - October 25, 2025
Previews September 18 and 19 at 8 pm
Press Opening Saturday, September 20 at 8 pm
Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 3pm. Industry night performance October 22 at 8pm.
The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee
Tickets Full price: $30. Students/Seniors, and Previews: $25.
https://thedentheatre.com/den-theatre-tickets 773-697-3830
Without William Shakespeare, we wouldn’t have literary masterpieces like ROMEO AND JULIET. But without Henry Condell and John Heminges, we would have lost half of Shakespeare’s plays forever! After the death of their friend and mentor, the two actors are determined to compile the First Folio and preserve the words that shaped their lives. They’ll just have to borrow, beg, and band together to get it done. Amidst the noise and color of Elizabethan London, THE BOOK OF WILL finds an unforgettable true story of love, loss, and laughter, and sheds new light on a man you may think you know.
BIOS
Beth Wolf (Director) is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of Midsommer Flight, where she has directed eleven Shakespeare plays in Chicago parks since the company's founding in 2012, including critically acclaimed productions of LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST, ROMEO AND JULIET, CYMBELINE, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, THE TEMPEST, TWELFTH NIGHT, and HAMLET, among others. Her productions of SILENT SKY and OUTSIDE MULLINGAR at Citadel were both nominated for Best Production and Best Direction of Play (Midsize) in the 2022 and 2024 Jeff Awards. Other credits include THE SUFFRAGE PLAYS at Artemisia, THE ROOMMATE at Citadel Theatre (Equity Jeff Recommended), AND NON-PLAYER CHARACTER at Red Theater (2020 Non-Equity Jeff nomination for Projection Design). Other Chicago credits include LIAR!, which won first place in the City Lit Art of Adaptation Festival; ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD, BLACK MAGIC: AN EVENING OF SHAKESPEARE, BURY THE DEAD, and THE FANTASTICKS (Promethean Theatre Ensemble, where she was the Artistic Director and co-founder); and various staged readings and assistant directing credits with Remy Bumppo, Idle Muse, City Lit Theater, and more. Beth is a proud Northwestern University graduate with a double major in Theatre and Gender Studies. She lives in Chicago with her husband and their two young children.
Lauren Gunderson (Playwright). Lauren has been one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015, topping the list thrice including 2022/23. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award for I AND YOU and THE BOOK OF WILL, the winner of the William Inge Distinguished Achievement in Theatre Award, the Lanford Wilson Award, and a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. She is a playwright, screenwriter, musical book writer, and children's author who lives in San Francisco. She graduated from NYU Tisch as a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship.
ABOUT PROMETHEAN THEATRE ENSEMBLE
Promethean Theatre Ensemble produces and develops ensemble-focused theatre with vibrant language in dynamic and purposeful storytelling. We select a service organization to support and promote with each production, bridging ideas within the play to real-world efforts to address challenges within our communities. Since its founding in 2005, Promethean has produced a body of work ranging from Shakespeare, 19th and 20th Century classics, and new work. The company was in the midst of its 14th season when the pandemic struck. THE BOOK OF WILL is Promethean’s 35th production.