PRODUCTION HANDBOOK

�a�le of �onten�s
The Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook is here to guide you through all aspects of production. To help you organize
your approach to this material and your staging and rehearsal processes, we have divided this handbook into the three
sections highlighted below. Incorporate the material in these pages as you see fit, and above all: Enjoy!

• Before You Begin includes information to start thinking about before you jump into rehearsals.
• In Rehearsal consists of material that will assist in directing your performers.
• Beyond the Stage contains information that will help to craft an engaging and rewarding production for actors
and audiences alike (consider referencing this section both before and during your rehearsal process).

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

INTRODUCTION......................................................................... 1
SCREEN TO STAGE................................................................... 2
DRAMATURGY.......................................................................... 8
CASTING................................................................................. 22
DESIGN................................................................................... 29

IN REHEARSAL
REHEARSAL EXERCISES......................................................... 41
STAGING & SCORE.................................................................. 46

BEYOND THE STAGE

AUDIENCE & STUDENT ENGAGEMENT................................... 51
RESOURCES........................................................................... 68
CREDITS................................................................................. 81
"I would stay asleep my whole
life if I could dream myself into
a company of players."
—Viola de Lesseps
 INTRODUCTION

W elcome to the “what if” world of passionate young poet and player William Shakespeare. Lee Hall’s stage adaptation of the
Academy Award®-winning 1998 film, written by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman, imagines the life and love of the world’s
most famous playwright near the beginning of his career, during the creation of what would become one of the world’s most
famous tragedies: Romeo and Juliet.

Shakespeare in Love, as one might guess, is all about love. It’s a love story about a young artist and an aspiring player. It’s a tale of
vocational love that transcends gender and its historical (yet ongoing) barriers. And ultimately, it’s a love letter to the theatre itself.
Carefully situated among known historical, biographical, and theatrical details of William Shakespeare and London in 1593, the
play bursts with allusions to his works, which fans are sure to relish. However, as with many of the Bard’s plays, Shakespeare in Love
is a work of fiction inspired by history, yet imaginatively steeped in the truth of human experience. So this play is as much about
today as it is about “them back then.”

This Production Handbook will guide your preparation for all aspects of your production – from dramaturgy to design to working
with verse to dance and fight choreography and beyond. Incorporating lessons learned from the world premiere as well as
licensed professional productions and high school pilots*, this guidebook has been crafted to help you create your own vision
for the show. In the following pages, you’ll find resources that you can draw from as needed, including broad and specific ways
to approach creating the world of the London playhouses of 1593. Whether Shakespeare in Love marks your first or one-hundredth
production, we hope this handbook inspires you to take risks, explore new methods of storytelling, and empower your cast to
discuss and explore the rich mosaic of characters and themes it provides. During the creation of your production and in sharing it
with your audiences, we wish for you Queen Elizabeth's discovery that “a play can show us the very truth and nature of love.”
Break a leg!

*In addition to the Acting Edition of Shakespeare in Love, there is also a High School Edition,
which minimizes the play's explicit language and references as well as the volume of Shakespeare's
verse for young amateurs who may be handling heightened language for the first time,
and offers sung material and some dialogue as optional (indicated in brackets).
When relevant, this Production Handbook will note where the two editions differ.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 1

 SCREEN TO STAGE

PRODUCTION HISTORY
W illiam Shakespeare (1564‑1616), the prolific poet and playwright, is often regarded in lofty terms as the greatest writer of
the English language. His plays span as many genres as they do decades and are often regarded as brilliant reflections of
humanity. That said, shockingly little is known about his life.

HUMANIZING THE BARD

In the late 1980s, screenwriter Marc Norman received a phone call from his son Zack, who was studying theatre at Boston College.
While learning about Shakespeare, he realized that it might be interesting for his father to write a movie about Shakespeare as he
was just starting out as a playwright. Norman found the idea compelling, but he struggled for a few years to figure out a way in.

His frustrations to come up with a suitable idea ultimately led Norman to a crucial point of connection. As professional writers,
he and Shakespeare had something in common: acute writer’s block. The daunting state of being broke and devoid of ideas is an
occupational hazard that afflicts even the best of writers. Norman thought it would be compelling to imagine Shakespeare during
that unassured time in his life. Rather than viewing Shakespeare as an icon, Norman wanted to reclaim Shakespeare from stodgy
academics and remind the world that he was a real person. “Let’s knock him off the pedestal and kick him around in the dirt for a
while… But, let’s restore him to the pedestal at the end, maybe a little higher and with a better idea of why he’s there.”

Newly invigorated by this point of view, Norman set out to write a screenplay that imagines Shakespeare as a lusty playwright
despairing and suffering creative paralysis. Not until he meets Viola, a free-thinking noblewoman who is promised in marriage
to a stuffy aristocrat, does Will become inspired to write Romeo and Juliet. Things get complicated when he realizes that lead
actor Thomas Kent is actually a cross-dressing Viola in disguise. Unable to resist their attraction, Will and Viola secretly begin a
passionate romantic affair. At the same time, they must keep an even more dangerous secret: Viola acting on a live stage, which
was a serious crime of decency in the time of Queen Elizabeth I. Inspired by these tricky realities, Will writes one of the greatest
love stories of all time.

BRINGING THE BARD TO THE SCREEN

In 1991, Universal Pictures bought Norman’s screenplay for Shakespeare in Love. It is customary in the film world for multiple
writers to take a pass at a screenplay before the movie is produced. As such, Universal enlisted the talents of Tom Stoppard, a
gifted playwright who had famously reimagined Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Initially, Stoppard was wary of
a project like this, as he found that people were all too eager to assume he was interested in stories “which might involve people
who say forsooth and write with feathers.” However, Stoppard was drawn to the potential for comedy in the story. He wrote his
own draft of the screenplay, most notably adding the subplot about Christopher Marlowe and bolstering the humor throughout.

Production was set to begin on the film in 1992. It was to be directed by Edward Zwick, and Julia Roberts was to star as Viola.
However, the film fell apart when Daniel Day-Lewis declined to play Will and Roberts felt there was no suitable substitute. Given
the amount of time and money the studio had already put into the film, Universal executives were reluctant to let the project die
and held on to the screenplay for a few more years.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 2

In 1996, Miramax, then a subsidiary of The Walt Disney
Company, acquired the rights to produce Shakespeare in
Love. Zwick was committed to another project at the time, so
English director John Madden was brought on to helm the
film. Newcomers Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes starred
as Viola and Will, and Ben Affleck supported as cocky actor
Ned Alleyn. Rounding out the cast were a host of formidable
classically-trained actors: Geoffrey Rush as Philip Henslowe,
Rupert Everett as Christopher Marlowe, Colin Firth as Lord
Wessex, Imelda Staunton as Viola’s Nurse, and Judi Dench as
Queen Elizabeth I.

Shakespeare in Love was released in December of 1998 to

largely positive reviews. It earned a “Critic's Pick” from New Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes in the 1998 film
York Times critic Janet Maslin, and Roger Ebert praised the ©Disney
film for the contemporary feel of the humor. It was also a hit
with audiences, grossing over $289 million worldwide. The film was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards® and won seven,
including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. In 2005, the Writers Guild of America ranked the screenplay the 28th greatest
ever written.

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE ONSTAGE

In 2010, due to a realignment of corporate strategy, Disney was planning to sell off the Miramax film library. However, Disney
Theatrical Productions president Thomas Schumacher wished to retain the stage rights to Shakespeare in Love, as he believed it to
be wonderful source material for a play.

Schumacher and Disney teamed with British producer Sonia Friedman and engaged Stoppard himself to adapt his screenplay for
live stage. Ultimately deciding he would rather focus on new work than revisit a project, Stoppard recommended having someone
else engage on the title. Olivier- and Tony®-winning playwright Lee Hall was brought on in 2012. Hall quickly realized the enormity
of the project, recounting, “Delight turned to absolute panic when I realized that not only would I have to rewrite probably our
greatest living playwright, I’d have to find a convincing theatrical form for an Oscar®-winning screenplay and I would be juggling
an ensemble of around 30 actors.”

Ultimately, Hall retained about 90% of the film script in his adaptation. One of the most prominent changes that he made was
embracing Shakespeare’s own verse. Poetry and heightened language can fall flat on the screen, and as such, the film had to
be economical in quoting from Shakespeare's work. With this limitation lifted for the stage, the play embraces Shakespearean
language and uses it far more significantly than the film. Additionally, the love story between Will and Viola that is so central to
the film takes a backseat in the play. Instead, the play focuses on Will’s journey toward becoming William Shakespeare and Viola’s
toward becoming a great actor. The character of Christopher Marlowe is also expanded from the film, with Marlowe shifting from
just a rival to both a friend and ghostly inspiration to Will.

Shakespeare in Love opened on London’s West End on July 22, 2014 at the Noël Coward Theatre to rapturous reviews.
Prominent Shakespearian director Declan Donnellan was at the helm with costume and scenic designs by Nick Ormerod. Their
theatre company, Cheek By Jowl, had notably produced numerous fresh and inventive takes on Renaissance plays and they
vibrantly brought Shakespeare in Love to life, staging the play on a set resembling an Elizabethan theatre. Paddy Cunneen was
commissioned to write music, which was integrated into the piece just as music would have been a component of a play in
Elizabethan England. The West End production featured choreography by Jane Gibson, lighting design by Neil Austin, and sound
design by Simon Baker. It was well-received by audiences and ran almost nine months.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 3

 ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE: SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE BEYOND THE WEST END
The West End production of Shakespeare in Love was extraordinarily large for a play, featuring a cast of 28. The team behind the
play went to work to figure out if it was possible to present a smaller version, and in April of 2016, a production (again directed by
Declan Donnellan) opened at Canada’s Stratford Festival featuring a cast of 21.

Shakespeare in Love has since been produced at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and across the U.S., as well as around the world.
It has been particularly popular at Shakespeare festivals given its light take on the Bard and countless historical and literary
references. During the 2017-2018 season, American Theatre magazine named Shakespeare in Love the most-produced play in
America, excluding Shakespeare’s own works.

Centuries after his lifetime, William Shakespeare is still regarded as the greatest writer of the English language. Just as his plays
and poetry delight and inspire audiences, readers, and theatre-makers around the world, so too does an imagined version of his
life through Shakespeare in Love.

Lucy Briggs-Owen as Viola and the cast of the West End premiere of Shakespeare in Love
Photo by Johan Persson ©Disney

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 4

PLOT SYNOPSIS
ACT ONE
A young Will Shakespeare is a penniless playwright with writer’s block, searching for new inspiration. Philip Henslowe, the owner
and manager of the Rose Theatre, desperately promises a new comedy by Will – a play not yet written, entitled Romeo and Ethel
the Pirate’s Daughter – to producer Hugh Fennyman, to whom he owes money. Backstage at Whitehall Palace, Richard Burbage
of the Chamberlain’s Men, a rival theatre troupe, prepares to perform Will’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona for the Queen, and Will
discovers Burbage has added a dog into the play without his permission.

In the audience is Viola De Lesseps, who can recite Will’s poetry passionately from memory. She dreams of one day being an actor
in one of his plays, though it is against the law for women to perform on the stage. Will, frustrated by the uninspired auditions for
his unwritten comedy, finally stumbles upon the perfect Romeo to cast: a talented young man (or so it seems) named Thomas
Kent. “Master Kent” is actually Viola in disguise, yearning to finally perform Will’s poetry that she holds so closely to her heart.

"I will have poetry in my life. And

adventure. And love. Love above all."
—Viola de Lesseps

Thoroughly impressed by Kent’s audition, Will, accompanied by friend and playwright Christopher (Kit) Marlowe, attends the De
Lesseps' ball to offer Master Kent the leading role in his play. From the moment Will lays eyes on the enchanting Viola, he is in love.
This new-found love is met with an unfriendly welcome by a plantation owner, Lord Wessex, who is betrothed to Viola against her
will, and who is insulted by Will’s sudden advances toward her. When Wessex threatens him, Will cannily introduces himself by the
name of Marlowe.

Unable to find Kent at the ball, Will leaves his casting offer with Viola’s Nurse, who claims to be Kent’s aunt. The Nurse then warns
Viola that participating in the play will end poorly for her if she is discovered to be a woman. Accompanied by Marlowe, Will stands
before Viola’s balcony, declaring his love to her. Will and Marlowe vanish before Wessex gets a hold of Will.

The following day, at a chaotic first rehearsal of Will’s play, Kent plays the leading role of Romeo. Will is enchanted by Kent’s
performance and begins to transform the comedy to a tragic love story where Romeo and Juliet are destined to be together,
but the circumstances of the outside world keep them apart. Lord Wessex pays a visit to Viola, informing her that he has already
arranged that they move to Virginia, where his tobacco plantations are located. Fearful for Will, Viola writes a letter asking him not
to pay her a visit, which she delivers to him as Kent. Heartbroken, Will runs after Kent, and discovers his true identity as Viola at De
Lesseps Hall. Now fully themselves with each other, Will and Viola embrace.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 5

 ACT TWO
The following morning, Viola and Will are surprised by Lord Wessex. Will begs Viola to marry him instead of Wessex, but Viola
knows it never can be. The Queen insists on approving Wessex’s bride, so he and Viola go to her for consent. The Queen approves
of their marriage but privately declares to Wessex in confidence that Viola is in love with another. With murder in his eyes, Wessex
assumes the man is “Marlowe” and vows his demise.

Burbage raids a rehearsal, determined to get Will’s new manuscript that he was promised. John Webster, an unpleasant aspiring
player with a dark side, tactfully swaps out the manuscript for another and gives the fake to Burbage, salvaging the production.
At the tavern, the company celebrates their cunning victory. It is there that Viola discovers Will is married with two children;
devastated, she runs out of the tavern while news arrives that Marlowe has been stabbed to death.

An emotional Viola arrives to her chambers, where Wessex awaits her to reveal that “her playwright” is dead. When a distraught
Will enters, a terrified Wessex flees, thinking Will is Marlowe’s ghost. Despairing over his friend's death, Will tears up his newly
revised script, but Viola pieces it together and passionately encourages him to continue on with his work.

At the Rose Theatre, during a rehearsal for Romeo and Juliet, a vengeful Wessex interrupts and attempts to kill Will, whom he has
discovered is "Marlowe." A sword fight ensues, but before Will can avenge Marlowe's death, the company informs him that his
friend died in a barroom quarrel. Suddenly, Edmund Tilney, the Lord Chamberlain, enters and reveals to the stunned company
that Thomas Kent’s true identity is Viola de Lesseps. He then declares, by the Queen’s command, that the Rose be shut down for
allowing women to perform onstage.

Burbage graciously offers up his theatre, the Curtain, to Will and Henslowe, saving Will’s play. With no one to play Romeo, it is
decided Will should take on the role. Meanwhile, Wessex and Viola wed, but, discovering that the play is back on, Viola flees to the
Curtain Theatre.

During the first performance of Romeo and Juliet, Sam, the actor playing Juliet, loses his voice, leaving the production sans
leading lady. Viola heroically steps into the role, performing alongside the man she loves. Although the play is joyously received
by all in attendance (even by the Queen), Viola must depart with Wessex for Virginia. Newly inspired by his love for Viola and the
heartbreak of letting her go, Will begins work on his next play, Twelfth Night.

"And so my story begins at sea... a shipwreck... the brave

vessel is dashed all to pieces and all the hapless souls are
drowned... save one: a woman whose soul is great than the
ocean and her spirit stronger than the sea's embrace."
—Will Shakespeare

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 6

CREATIVE TEAM
MARC NORMAN LEE HALL
(Original Screenplay) Films include Shakespeare in Love (Stage Adaptation) Hall has worked as a writer across theatre,
(Academy Awards® for Best Original Screenplay and television, radio, and film. His stage adaptation of Billy Elliot
Best Picture, two Golden Globes, and a Silver Bear for the Musical won the 2009 Tony Award® for Best Book, as well
Outstanding Single Achievement at the 49th Berlin as the Olivier Award for Best Musical in 2006. It was based
International Film Festival), Cutthroat Island, The Aviator, on his screenplay for the film of the same name which saw
The Killer Elite, Breakout, Zandy’s Bride, and Oklahoma Crude. him nominated for an Academy Award®. In 2008, he won the
Norman is also the author of two novels, Fool’s Errand and London Evening Standard Award for Best Play for The Pitmen
Bike Riding in Los Angeles, in addition to What Happens Next?: Painters. Hall has been writer in residence at the Royal
A History of American Screenwriting. Shakespeare Company and Live Theatre. His screenplay for
War Horse was directed by Steven Spielberg in 2011. Other

TOM STOPPARD theatre credits include Cooking with Elvis (Live Theatre,
Newcastle), Spoonface Steinberg (Ambassadors Theatre,
West End, also adapted for television and radio), and Two’s
(Original Screenplay) Born in Zlin, Czechoslovakia in 1937,
Company (Live Theatre and Bristol Old Vic).
Stoppard moved to England, via Singapore and India, with
his family in 1946. He began his working life in 1954 as a
junior reporter for the Western Daily Press, Bristol. In 1967, PADDY CUNNEEN
Stoppard’s first full-length play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Are Dead, was staged by the National Theatre. This play was (Music) Cunneen is the artistic director of Tumult in the
followed by other award-winning works, including Jumpers, Clouds and has been associate director of Cheek by Jowl
Travesties, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Night and Day, since 1990. Credits with Check by Jowl include As You Like
The Real Thing, Hapgood, Arcadia, Indian Ink, The Invention of It, Hamlet, Lady Betty, Measure for Measure, Sam Sampson,
Love, The Coast of Utopia trilogy, and Rock ‘n Roll. His many The Tempest, Philoctetes, The Three Blind Men, and Don’t Fool
stage adaptations and translations include Undiscovered with Love. Other theatre includes: Blue Remembered Hills,
Country (Schnitzler), On the Razzle (Nestroy), Rough Crossing Closer, Angels in America, and Fuente Ovejuna at the National
(Molnár), The Seagull (Chekhov), Henry IV (Pirandello), Theatre; and Closer, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Lonesome
Heroes (Sibleyras), Ivanov (Chekhov), and The Cherry Orchard West, The Iceman Cometh, The Blue Room, and The Pillowman
(Chekhov). Stoppard has also written for radio, television, on Broadway. Television and film include Boy A (2008 BAFTA
and film. His screen credits, as writer and co-writer, include nomination for Best Score), Nan, Bite, Unfinished Business, Cry
Brazil, Empire of the Sun, Enigma, and Shakespeare in Love Wolf, Two Oranges and a Mango, The Maitlands, You Drive Me,
(Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay). Other work Golden Wedding, Big Fish, The Pan Load, Memory Man, and
includes: for screen, Anna Karenina; for television, Parade’s AfterLife.
End (a five-part series); and for radio, Darkside with Pink
Floyd. He also directed a film adaptation of his own play of
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990), which won
the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. He received
knighthood in 1997 and in 2000 was awarded the Order of
Merit by Her Majesty the Queen.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 7

 DRAMATURGY

T here’s a lot more to Shakespeare in Love than what you see onstage each night. While the play is entirely fictional – the events
depicted never happened and were purely created from the imagination of the authors – they are set against a historical
background. Regarding this balance between fact and fiction, Tom Stoppard remarked, “As with all fiction involving historical
characters, the story is taking place in a parallel world. One is making a fairy tale out of the life of a genius who lived.” That being
the case, it is extraordinarily useful to be able to place this work of fiction into its historical context; although the events are
fictional, the setting is real and historical research can inform elements such as design, performances, and direction.

This chapter offers some insight into the theatre business in London in 1593, as well as historical figures that may be unfamiliar to
you and your cast (refer to the Script Glossary on pp. 72-74 of this handbook for even more information). While some professional
theatres employ dramaturgs to research and interpret literary references or details in a historical script, actors who undertake
their own character, period, and text research are always one step ahead; and such cultural explorations can be very helpful to an
actor’s creative process.

Perhaps there is one cast or production member who wants to take on the role of dramaturg – making a more comprehensive
glossary complete with places (e.g., the various theatres throughout London in the late 16th century) and historical information
about Elizabethan England. How would citizens of London have dressed? What would they be eating and drinking in a tavern?
How would people be dancing at a ball? What types of people would be part of Queen Elizabeth’s court? They could also create
and moderate an online forum for the cast and designers to share their own relevant research. The more your cast and creative
team understand their characters and the world of the play, the better their portrayals and designs will be!

LIFE IN ELIZABETHAN LONDON

The Elizabethan era – or the years during which Queen Elizabeth I ruled – lasted from 1558-1603. The period before Elizabeth’s
rule was characterized by change and uncertainty during the English Reformation, and thus Elizabeth strived to settle the country
and ensure national security. The Elizabethan era is often seen as a golden age in England; the economy was prosperous, the
government was stable, and the arts flourished.

During this time, the population of England grew substantially, from approximately 2.8 million at the beginning of Elizabeth’s
reign to 4.1 million at the end. Additionally, the country went through significant demographic shifts. For centuries, the vast
majority of England’s population consisted of peasant-farmers living in rural districts. However, during the 16th century, the newly
booming textile industry began to shift demographics. Whereas only 5% of the population lived in cities prior to Elizabethan
times, that proportion grew to 15% during her reign. London was by far the most populous city in England with approximately
200,000 residents during Elizabeth’s reign.

CLASS STRUCTURE
Historically, England was heavily divided by class. Those at the top of the class hierarchy lived vastly different lives than those at
the bottom, and there was not much interaction between the classes. Relatively few historical accounts exist about the lower
classes, and, as such, their lives are less clear to historians than the lives of those with money and power.

The class system is, in some part, based in the medieval concept of the Great Chain of Being – or the idea that every element of
the universe has a place within a divinely-ordained hierarchy. During Elizabeth’s lifetime, popular belief in this concept began

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 8

to show slight signs of crumbling, with a growing middle In Shakespeare in Love, Lord Wessex and the de Lesseps
class that had achieved some amount of social mobility and family are members of Queen Elizabeth’s court. One method
artists and philosophers emphasizing the human ability to of enforcing the division between classes was through
overcome obstacles. Elizabeth, while intellectually fascinated clothing. Elizabeth passed regulations known as sumptuary
by this bold way of thinking, resisted changes in the social order. laws (including the 1597 Proclamation; see p. 34 of this
handbook for more information), which governed how
people of various classes could dress. For example, only
royalty could wear the color purple and fur was limited to
only the highest classes. These laws were strictly enforced
within the court, and the cost of lavish clothing and dyes
was prohibitive to those in the lower classes anyway.

Elizabeth’s royal court included those who took care of her

household and personal needs; the people who advised her
and helped her govern the country; and visiting dignitaries,
scholars, artists, scientists, and performers. The court was
massive; Elizabeth’s royal court ranged from 1,000 to 1,500
people.

A map of Elizabethan London (1593) Although the monarchy placed Elizabeth as God’s
representative on earth with no equal, she was not able to
govern alone. The monarchy did not have enough money
THE COURT to pay for a large bureaucracy to run a government, and
thus relied on the nobility (the small group of people who
The English monarchy was based on the principle that the held social titles) and gentry (influential landowners) to fill
ruler was divinely ordained to rule the kingdom. As such, those roles. Elizabeth was a shrewd politician who gave the
in Elizabethan England, the absolute top position of the nobility enough power to keep them appeased while still
hierarchy was held by Queen Elizabeth herself, who lived a maintaining significant control for herself.
gilded lifestyle and held vast power. Elizabeth was the first
female English monarch, and her gender was a problem
for many people as she established and consolidated her TRADESMEN
power. Right below her was her royal court – the hundreds
of people that surrounded the monarch. The court, which Below members of the court came the tradesmen, most of
included the Queen’s closest confidants and advisors, had whom lived in London. This class was made up of merchants
extraordinary power and wealth and lived glamorous lives. and craftsmen who lived relatively quiet lives. Young men
would be apprenticed to a master within a trade, and
during that time they were indentured to their masters.
Apprentices lived modest lives, often receiving no payment
beyond food, lodging, and plain clothes. While apprentices
were technically forbidden from leisure activities, there are
references to apprentices attending playhouses that leads to
a reasonable suspicion that those rules were often broken.
During Elizabeth’s reign, it was possible for members of the
merchant class to attain extreme wealth and rise in social
status. The availability of education also expanded during
the Elizabethan era – particularly in cities – allowing middle-
class and even some working-class children to attend
school. Because of this, literacy rates rose considerably.
A portrait of Queen Elizabeth I and her court
Painting by Robert Peake the Elder (c. 1600)

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 9

 two acts in 1572 that imperiled them legally. However,
UNSKILLED LABORERS theatre companies that received sponsorship by a noble –
such as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men – were given special
There were few jobs for unskilled laborers, and those that royal permission to perform in London without fear of arrest.
struggled to find work often found themselves either As a result of Queen Elizabeth's penchant for the theatre,
homeless or living in crowded sewage-filled neighborhoods. the status of thespians rose during her reign. Additionally,
The life expectancy was exceedingly low for the urban theatre practitioners such as Ned Alleyn or William
poor. However, during Elizabeth’s reign, Parliament passed Shakespeare, who were shareholders in their companies or
regulations known as poor laws, which provided a slim form theatres, had the ability to grow wealthy and elevate their
of welfare. Those deemed the “deserving poor” – the sick, social standing.
the elderly, orphans – received some local support such as
clothing, money, food, or housing.
AGRARIAN PEASANTS
THESPIANS The vast majority of the country’s population still lived in
rural districts. Aside from the powerful lords that governed
The social status of thespians during the Elizabethan era these districts, most people would have been peasant
fluctuated due to a variety of factors. Actors during this time farmers living a simple and steady life, working from sunup
were generally seen as vagabonds, and Parliament passed to sundown and rarely travelling beyond their village.

COURT LIFE
The court lived a glamorous life, all in the name of garnering the favor of the Queen. Like the rest of Elizabethan society, the
nobility was hierarchical, and Elizabeth controlled where courtiers fell within that hierarchy. Courtiers strived to attract the Queen’s
favor, often waiting for months to gain her attention. Many courtiers lived beyond their means in hopes of getting the Queen to
notice them.

The court convened at whichever palace the Queen was residing in at any given time. Elizabeth maintained several palaces, each
large enough to house the entire court. She often resided at the Palace of Whitehall, which had over 1,500 rooms and housed
what was considered to be the finest art collection in England. Another favorite of hers was Greenwich Palace, where she was
born. The Queen never stayed more than a few months in one palace, moving between them with some regularity.

Elizabeth, though financially disciplined, recognized the importance of maintaining a lavish court life. She was deeply focused on
maintaining her own appearance, and her courtiers were expected to do the same, dressing extravagantly in the latest fashions.
Guests were greeted with entertainment and elegant feasts, and all courtiers practiced strict etiquette in the presence of the
Queen.

Elizabeth was deeply interested in the arts and, during her reign, England went through a cultural renaissance. Court life was
steeped in the arts, with some of the most accomplished artists and performers of the time making regular visits to court.
Elizabeth maintained her own orchestra, and poetry was popular among courtiers. At the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign,
professional theatres had not yet been established, but by the 1570s, her Master of the Revels (the member of the court who
oversaw all court entertainment) hired professional companies to perform at court. The monarch would not attend plays at the
theatre, and thus theatre companies would go to the palace to perform their plays for the court. The plays of England’s most
famous playwrights – including Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare – were performed at court by troupes such as the
Admiral’s Men and the Lord Chamberlain’s Men.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 10

ROLE OF WOMEN
Women held low standing during the Elizabethan era. Even Queen Elizabeth was regarded with suspicion as a female monarch at
the beginning of her reign, and the fact that a woman was in power did not trickle down to change views on women throughout
the rest of society. Women were considered belongings to their fathers and later to their husbands and could not own or inherit
property. They had few rights and were expected to obey their male relatives. Married women were usually homemakers, but poor
women often needed to work for pay, usually doing service-related jobs such as acting as barmaids or as nurses to the children of
a wealthy family.

Marriage was an expectation during Elizabethan times. Single people – both women and men – were looked down upon. Marital
unions were usually arranged by parents for financial or social purposes, and those among the highest levels of nobility were
often arranged or approved by the Queen herself. However, as can be seen in Shakespeare’s plays, the idea of marrying for love
was beginning to gain slight traction during this time, causing a tension between generations. Since women were seen as inferior
to men, infidelity carried a far smaller stigma for men than it did for women.

ELIZABETHAN THEATRE
The emergence of theatre began with traveling acting companies that would usually play at inn-yards, which had an inner
courtyard for performances. As the popularity of theatre grew, large open-air amphitheatres were built. Architecturally these
theatres were round or polygonal and usually had three galleried levels for seated audiences. The stage would extend into an
open courtyard known as a “yard” or “pit.” The Theatre, the Rose, and the Globe were all popular theatres which opened in the
suburbs of London. Elizabethan theatre produced some of history’s finest playwrights whose plays were regularly performed at
these theatres, most notably William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Johnson.

The popularity of theatre grew enormously during the Elizabethan period, a time when the population of London was rapidly
increasing. Attending the theatre was an exciting and social event, and theatres regularly attracted 3,000 patrons to each show,
but faced stiff competition from other forms of entertainment including bear baiting, drinking at taverns, and gambling. To satisfy
public demand, performances were shown up to six days per week, and plays were performed in repertory, meaning actors
needed to learn several parts at one time. Public theatres were open-air structures that utilized the sun to light the plays, so
performances took place in the middle of the afternoon and were only held weather-permitting. (Private theatres, such as those
created in the halls of the Queen’s palaces, utilized candlelight.)

A map notating the important playhouses in Elizabethan London

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 11

 housed at the Rose and closely associated with Christopher
THEATRICAL COMPANIES Marlowe. The Admiral’s Men’s reputation slipped as the Lord
Chamberlain’s Men became the favored company in London,
In 1559, Queen Elizabeth issued a proclamation mandating particularly after Alleyn’s retirement in 1603. By 1631, the
that actors be licensed. As such, informal troupes of actors company had disbanded.
became official companies, and this structure lasted for
the duration of Shakespeare’s career. The companies were
hierarchical; the most senior actors, who received a financial
share of the profits, were called “sharers,” while actors that
were simply hired to perform were referred to as “hirelings”
and the boys that played women’s roles were called
“apprentices” and paid very little. Companies handled all
the responsibility – financial and managerial – of producing
theatre. They often had ties to specific theatres, and each
company required the patronage of a noble, usually taking
their name in the process. In 1583, the Queen became the
patron of her own company, the Queen’s Men. In 1594,
the Queen’s Men was replaced by two newly reorganized
companies: Lord Chamberlain’s Men and the Admiral’s Men.
These companies were far and away the most influential in
their time, but other companies, such as Pembroke’s Men
Shakespeare’s Globe, a functioning replica of the historical
and Lord Strange’s Men, also operated.
Globe, opened in 1997 in London.
Photo by Steve Collis, licensed under CC BY 2.0
LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S MEN
By far the most favored of the theatrical companies, this
company – Shakespeare's – underwent a few name changes, ATTENDING THE THEATRE
being known as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men from 1594-
1596, Hudson’s Men from 1596-1597, and once again the Elizabethan theatre audiences were diverse; a great mix of
Lord Chamberlain’s Men from 1597 until the ascension social classes, ages, and gender. The lower-class audience
of King James in 1603. At that point, James became the members, or “groundlings,” as they were known, would pay
company’s patron and it was known as the King’s Men. one penny to enter and stand in the yard. The gentry sat in
The company was housed at The Theatre and later at the seats in the galleries, and could pay one penny extra to sit
Globe. Shakespeare was the company’s principal playwright, on a cushion. Nobles often sat in seats on the stage, facing
as well as an actor and sharer. Other notable company the audience, where they could be admired by the much
members included Richard Burbage, who originated many less wealthy audience looking on. Queen Elizabeth would
famous lead roles and was the owner of the Globe, and John never attend a public performance; instead, the players
Heminges and Henry Condell, who released the First Folio of would travel and act for her at the palace. Elizabethan
Shakespeare’s plays. The company existed until the theatres audiences were far more boisterous than audiences who
in England were closed in 1642 due to the outbreak of the attend theatre today. Many spectators would get drunk, so if
English Civil War. they didn’t like the play or grew bored during the three-hour
runtimes, they would often heckle or throw things such as
ADMIRAL'S MEN apple cores at the actors. Actors needed lots of energy and
This primary rival to the Lord Chamberlain’s Men was loud voices to engage the lively crowds.
originally formed in 1576 as Lord Howard’s Men. They
became known as the Admiral’s Men when their patron Going to the theatre was more of an aural experience
became Lord High Admiral in 1585. When the company than a visual one. There was no scenery as audiences were
reorganized in 1594, Edward (Ned) Alleyn became its expected to use their imagination. Only a few props were
principal actor and Philip Henslowe its manager. They were used due to the expense and time that went into creating

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 12

them. It was necessary that playwrights scribe interesting characters and exciting plot lines in order to keep spectators engaged.
Actors would always be male, as it was considered unladylike (and illegal) for a woman to act. The female roles would be played by
teenage boys before they went through puberty and their voices broke.

The costumes that the actors wore were typically the modern dress of the time and reflected their character’s social status; they
were often elaborate and brightly-colored to distinguish the characters. The male actors playing women would wear dresses, wigs,
and stage makeup.

A sketch of the Swan Theatre, a typical Elizabethan playhouse (1596)

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 13

 REPUTATION OF THE THEATRE
Despite being hugely popular with both the general public and the court, theatre had a bad reputation and there were those
who strongly opposed it. Deeply religious Puritans believed theatre to be immoral (for a variety of reasons including the belief
that it was blasphemous for men to perform as women onstage and a dislike that the theatre allowed for public discussion of
topics that were considered taboo in everyday life) and fought to have the theatres shut down. London’s authorities called for a
ban of theatres due to the mass outbreak of the plague – also known as the Black Death, which still exists today – and the drunk,
rowdy crowds it attracted. Because the theatre drew such large crowds, it was feared that plays could be used to convey political
messages. At a time where there was great religious unrest, the Privy Council (the group of nobles appointed by the Queen to
oversee the general administration of the country) among others would regulate the plays to ensure they pleased the Queen.
The Master of the Revels was a key figure in licensing and censorship of professional drama and had the authority to close down
theatres and arrest playwrights if it was deemed that they were conveying immoral messages through plays. In 1642, the Puritans
closed down all theatres, demolishing the Globe two years later, which marked the end of an astonishing period in theatrical history.

An imagined sketch of the interior of the Globe

Illustration by C. Walter Hodges (1958), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 14

NOTABLE PEOPLE
Although Shakespeare in Love is a fictional story, many of the characters have ties to historical figures.
Some characters, such as the members of the de Lesseps family and Hugh Fennyman, are products of the
imagination of the authors. However, many are based on real people, such as William Shakespeare, Christopher
Marlowe, Queen Elizabeth I, and the many others that populated their world.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Widely considered the greatest writer of the English language, William Shakespeare
(1564-1616) was a poet and playwright. Despite his fame and importance, relatively
little is known with certainty about Shakespeare’s life. William Shakespeare was born
in Stratford-upon-Avon (an English market town approximately 100 miles northwest
of London) allegedly on April 23, 1564. Very little is known about Shakespeare’s
childhood, but it is assumed that he received a good education, despite never
proceeding to university. In 1582, at the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, and
they had a daughter in 1583 and twins in 1585. There are no records of Shakespeare’s
activities between 1585 and 1592; thus, this period is known as the “Lost Years.”
Historians estimate that Shakespeare arrived in London in the mid-1580s and from
that point began to establish himself in the theatre as an actor and playwright. He
quickly achieved massive success as a playwright, far outpacing any other living
playwright at the time. He even was a successful entrepreneur; as was common
at the time, he was a “sharer” (i.e., shareholder) in his theatrical company, the Lord
Chamberlain’s Men, which later became the King’s Men, and more uniquely, he
was also a part-owner of the Globe. Shakespeare wrote at least 37 plays (see p. 20
of this handbook for details) and 154 sonnets during his lifetime. He died in 1616,
William Shakespeare
and in 1623 two of members of his company published the First Folio edition of his
Painting by John Taylor (c. 1600-1610)
collected plays, allowing them to live on for centuries beyond Shakespeare’s own life.

CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE
A playwright, poet, and translator, Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593) was born in
Canterbury and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Corpus Christi College,
Cambridge in 1584. He was the second most notable dramatist of his time, only
surpassed by Shakespeare, and he wrote seven plays, including Tamburlaine
the Great, The Jew of Malta, and Doctor Faustus. He was closely associated with
the Admiral’s Men, and they premiered much of his work. Marlowe’s plays are
characterized by their use of blank verse and overreaching protagonists, and he
was a strong influence on Shakespeare’s early work; however, there is no historical
evidence that Marlowe and Shakespeare were friends as they are in Shakespeare
in Love, or even interacted with each other. While the circumstances surrounding
Marlowe’s death are murky, it is commonly agreed upon by historians that he did in
fact die in a bar fight – “a quarrel about the bill.”

Christopher Marlowe (1585)

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 15

 RICHARD BURBAGE
Richard Burbage (1568-1619) is considered the first truly
great actor of English theatre. His father, James Burbage, was
a theatrical impresario who built The Theatre, one of the first
permanent, dedicated theatres constructed in England since
Roman times. In the early 1590s, he was acting variously
with the Admiral's Men, Lord Strange's Men, and the Earl of
Pembroke's Men. However, he was most famously the star
of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, founded in 1594. He created
the lead role in many of Shakespeare’s plays, including Hamlet,
Othello, Richard III, King Lear, and likely Romeo and Juliet.

EDWARD ALLEYN
Known to his contemporaries as “Ned,” Edward Alleyn
(1566-1626) was a leading Elizabethan actor. He was acting
by 1583, and created the leading roles in three Christopher
Marlowe plays. A member of the Admiral’s Men, he was
Richard Burbage known for his charismatic and powerful style. Alleyn married
Philip Henslowe’s stepdaughter and became a part-owner
PHILIP HENSLOWE of many of his properties. He was a rival of Richard Burbage,
the other great actor of the time.
Philip Henslowe (c. 1550-1616) was a successful businessman
with business interests as varied as theatre ownership,
dyeing, money-lending, and operating animal shows. He
made most of his money as a property-owner and landlord.
In 1587, he built the Rose Theatre. Henslowe partnered
with the Admiral’s Men, and his stepdaughter married Ned
Alleyn, who later became a business partner. Henslowe’s
diaries are an important record from the period. Recorded
within them are box office takings, records of payments to
playwrights, and other memoranda, and they have provided
a crucial window into the workings of Elizabethan theatre.
Shakespeare himself is never mentioned in Henslowe’s diary,
but works that he wrote are listed and are presumed to
have been performed when the Admiral’s Men and the Lord
Chamberlain’s Men toured together briefly in 1594 because
theatres in London were closed due to plague.

Edward Alleyn (1626)

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 16

 JOHN WEBSTER EDMUND TILNEY
John Webster (c. 1580-c. 1634) was a playwright best known A courtier to Queen Elizabeth and later King James, Edmund
for two dark and gruesome tragedies, The White Devil and Tilney (1536-1610) was Master of the Revels, a position
The Duchess of Malfi. Little is known about his life aside from within the office of the Lord Chamberlain (in Shakespeare
his theatrical activities; it is unlikely that Webster would have in Love, however, he is portrayed as the Lord Chamberlain).
been performing with the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. The The Lord Chamberlain was one of the principal officers
character of Webster does foreshadow the real Webster’s of the Royal Household, and all court entertainment fell
macabre tendencies, though, declaring, “I like it when they under his purview, as managed by the Master of the Revels.
cut heads off. And the daughter mutilated with knives. Under Tilney, the functions of Master of the Revels became
Plenty of blood. That’s the only writing.” extended and he acquired the power to censor and control
theatre throughout England. While Tilney censored works,

QUEEN ELIZABETH I including those written by Shakespeare, he was also a great

champion and protector of the theatre.

Elizabeth I's (1533-1603) reign as Queen of England from

1558 until her death was known as the Elizabethan era
and provided much stability for England after the string of
short rules that had come before. This time period is often
seen as a golden age of English history, largely because
of the flourishing of English drama as well as exploration
and expansion abroad. Elizabeth, who never married, was
cautious, charismatic (although sometimes short-tempered),
intelligent, and extremely popular with the people. While
she died before many of Shakespeare’s plays were written,
it is known that she did see at least some of his plays
performed. There is even a historical theory that Queen
Elizabeth asked Shakespeare to write The Merry Wives of
Windsor after liking the character of Falstaff from Henry IV
and wanting to see him fall in love.

Queen Elizabeth I (c. 1592-1599)

NOTABLE PLACES
Most of Shakespeare in Love takes place in real, historical locations. Many of these places still exist today, whether in their original
structures, or as functioning replicas either on, or nearby, their original locations.

THE ROSE THEATRE

Built in 1587 in London, the Rose was owned by Philip Henslowe with his partner John Cholmley on an estate called the “Little Rose.”
The existing buildings on the site were used as a storehouse and a brothel. The theatre was made of timber and plaster on a brick
foundation and with a thatch roof, and the building was a fourteen-sided polygon. The Rose was prominently used by the Admiral’s
Men, led by Ned Alleyn, beginning in 1594 until 1600. It was sporadically in use until 1605 and was torn down shortly after. Notable
plays performed at the Rose include Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta and Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part 1 and Titus Andronicus.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 17

 THE CURTAIN THEATRE
Built in 1577 in London, the Curtain Theatre was located in Shoreditch, approximately 200 yards from The Theatre, which predates
it by a year. It was called the Curtain not as an allusion of any sort to a theatrical curtain, but rather because of its proximity to
the city’s curtain walls (the defensive walls surrounding London). Unusually, the Curtain was rectangular rather than round or
polygonal. Through an agreement between the theatre’s manager and James Burbage, the Curtain became a supplementary
house to The Theatre beginning in 1585, and from 1597 to 1599 it was the premier venue of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men after The
Theatre closed. Notable plays performed at the Curtain Theatre include Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2.
The Curtain Theatre had an unusually long lifespan, remaining in operation until at least 1622.

WHITEHALL PALACE
Located in Westminster, London, Whitehall Palace was
the main residence of English monarchs from 1530
until 1698. Originally constructed in 1240, it became
particularly significant in 1530 when King Henry VIII
took it over as his main London residence. Expanded
a number of times, the palace eventually contained
over 1,000 rooms. The royal court – made up of the
monarch’s attendants – would convene in whichever
palace the monarch was residing in at any given time.
Courts were quite large (Elizabeth’s numbered between
1,000 and 1,500) and so palaces were massive and
served as more than just residences. Shakespeare and
the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later the King’s Men)
Whitehall Palace performed a number of plays for the court at Whitehall
Painting by Hedrick Danckerts (c. 1675) Palace, as the monarchs would not attend plays with the
common people at the public theatres.

GREENWICH PALACE
Also known as the Palace of Placentia, Greenwich Palace
was built in 1443 on the banks of the River Thames in
Greenwich. It was Queen Elizabeth’s birthplace and one
of her main residences during her reign. Like Whitehall
Palace, the royal court would convene here when the
monarch was in residence. The palace fell into disrepair
during the English Civil War, and in 1660 Charles II
decided to rebuild it. However, it was never completed
and eventually was merged into the Greenwich
Hospital.

Greenwich Palace (1630)

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 18

��a�espeare �ime�in�
Records from Shakespeare’s era are slim and contain many holes. The below timeline provides
an approximate sketch of dates important to the events and characters of Shakespeare in Love.

1558
1564
Elizabeth I ascends the throne as Queen
of England.

1576
William Shakespeare is born
in Stratford-upon-Avon.

1577
The Theatre, the first public playhouse in London,
opens in the northern suburbs. The Newington

1582
The Curtain Theatre opens in London. Butts Theatre opened this same year.

Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway.

1583

1585 Mid-1580s
Shakespeare’s daughter, Susanna, is born.

Shakespeare’s twins, Hamnet and Judith, are born.

1587
Shakespeare arrives in London, possibly having joined
a traveling company that stopped in Stratford, and
begins to establish himself as an actor and playwright.

1592
The Rose opens in London.

1593 1593
First reference to Shakespeare in London’s literary world appears.

1594
Christopher Marlowe is stabbed and dies. All theatres in London are closed due to plague. Lord
Strange’s Men, with Ned Alleyn, leaves London to tour.

1599
Theatres in London are reopened. Lord Chamberlain’s
Men, Shakespeare’s theatre company, is formed.

1603
The Globe opens.

1609
Queen Elizabeth dies and is succeeded by James I.
Lord Chamberlain’s Men becomes the King’s Men.

c. 1611
Shakespeare’s Sonnets, a quarto containing 154
sonnets by Shakespeare, is published. Scholars
believe that Shakespeare wrote the sonnets in

1616
Shakespeare retires to Stratford-upon-Avon.
the 1590s and early 1600s.

1623
Shakespeare dies.

The First Folio of Shakespeare’s collected

plays is published by John Hemminges and
Henry Condell, members of the King’s Men.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 19

 � hronolo�y o� ��akespeare's � lays
Similar to the events of Shakespeare’s life, the chronology of when his plays were written or performed is often the subject of
conjecture among historians. The below timeline represents of a rough summary of when his plays were composed.

1588-1597– Love’s Labour’s Lost

1589-1592 – Henry VI, Part 1; Titus Andronicus
1589-1594 – The Comedy of Errors
1590-1592 – Henry VI, Part 2
1590-1593 – Henry VI, Part 3
1590-1594 – The Taming of the Shrew;
1590-1595 – Edward III
1592-1594 – Richard III
The Two Gentlemen of Verona

1592-1596 – Richard III

1594-1596 – King John; Romeo and Juliet
1595-1596 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Richard II
1596-1597 – The Merchant of Venice;
1597-1598 – Henry IV, Part 2
1597-1601 – The Merry Wives of Windsor
Henry IV, Part 1

1598-1599 – Much Ado About Nothing

1598-1600 – As You Like It
1599 – Henry V
1599-1600 – Julius Caesar
1599-1601 – Hamlet
1600-1602 – Twelfth Night
1601-1602 – Troilus and Cressida
1601-1605 – All’s Well That Ends Well
1603-1604 – Measure for Measure; Othello
1605-1606 – King Lear
1605-1608 – Timon of Athens
1606-1607 – Macbeth; Antony and Cleopatra
1606-1608 – Pericles
1608 – Coriolanus
1608-1610 – Cymbeline
1609-1611 – The Winter’s Tale
1611 – The Tempest
1612-1614 – The Two Noble Kinsmen
1613 – Henry VIII; Cardenio (now lost)

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 20

 �rea�ive �iberties in �hakespeare in �ove
While Shakespeare in Love features many real characters in a historical setting, it is a work of fiction. The events
of the play were invented by Tom Stoppard, Marc Norman, and Lee Hall, and as such, the play includes some
notable anachronisms:

• While a central plot point of Shakespeare in Love is Will’s struggle to conceive the plot of Romeo and
Juliet, in reality, he simply adapted an existing story. The Italian verse tale The Tragical History of Romeus
and Juliet had been translated into English by Arthur Brooke in 1562.
• The characters in this play set in 1593 refer to Virginia tobacco plantations, but the Colony of Virginia
wasn’t chartered until 1606.
• Lord Wessex is a member of the House of Wessex, which died out in 1066 before Shakespeare in
Love takes place. (In 1999, Prince Edward, the son of Queen Elizabeth II, became the Earl of Wessex,
reportedly having been drawn to the historic title after watching the film of Shakespeare in Love.)
• Queen Elizabeth I never entered a public theatre, as she does in Shakespeare in Love.
• While Shakespeare in Love depicts Twelfth Night as Shakespeare’s next play following Romeo and Juliet, in
reality, he wrote many other plays over a period of six years.

Tom Bateman as Will and the cast of the West End premiere of Shakespeare in Love
Photo by Johan Persson ©Disney

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 21

 CASTING

S hakespeare in Love requires a cast of performers who understand the verse of William Shakespeare and contemporaries like
Christopher Marlowe and are adept at reciting it. (For tips to help your actors’ recitiation, see p. 69 of the Resources chapter of
this handbook.) Look for strong actors with a sense of play who can deliver this stylized period dialogue with confidence and lean
into the ample comic opportunities with wit and aplomb. Character desciptions follow. For ideas on how to double these roles,
see pp. 4-5 of the actor's script.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
THE PLAYWRIGHTS
WILL SHAKESPEARE, is a passionate poet and playwright NURSE, a devoted servant to Viola, helps her lady, with
(for more information on the man behind the character, see kindness and humor, to dress as an actor and avoid the
p. 15 of this handbook) who alternates between anxiously priggish Lord Wessex.
brooding over his writer’s block and boasting all the cocky
confidence and charm expected from one of Elizabethan SIR ROBERT DE LESSEPS, Viola’s father, thinks of his
England’s most reknowned dramatists. A friend to, and daughter only as a piece of property to be given away to the
playful competitor of, Kit Marlowe, Will is a sensitive soul odious Lord Wessex.
searching for a muse – which he finds, both theatrically and
romantically, in the equally fervent Viola. LORD WESSEX, an insufferable and cash-poor nobleman
engaged to Viola, is smarmy with the Queen, but hateful
KIT MARLOWE, Will’s more successful theatrical cohort, to nearly everyone else. A shameless misogynist, Wessex
never suffers from the writer’s block that plagues his pal – desires Viola only for her father’s wealth.
he always knows exactly what Will should write or say next.
Smooth and charming, Kit is perpetually good-humored CATLING, is a guard at De Lesseps Hall.
and encouraging – the best kind of friend(ly competitor)
to Shakespeare’s protagonist. (For more information on GUARDS (2) patrol De Lesseps Hall.
Christopher Marlowe, see p. 15.)

THE ROSE THEATRE

THE DE LESSEPS HOUSE
HENSLOWE, is the owner and manager of the Rose Theatre,
VIOLA DE LESSEPS, a noblewoman who fiercely dreams which will host Shakespeare’s newest comedy. Alas, the
of becoming an actor, Viola disguises herself as Thomas frustrated Philip Henslowe must continually hound the ever-
Kent in order to perform, illegally, in Shakespeare’s latest pondering playwright for the play. A slippery equivocator,
play. Engaged to Lord Wessex, a man she hardly knows or his increasing debts and frustrations are ripe fodder for a
cares for, and restricted by a society that bases her worth comedic actor. (For more information on Philip Henslowe,
solely on her marriage prospects, Viola escapes to the see p. 16 of this handbook.)
stage, where she thrives in reciting the playwright’s poetry
and subsequently falls in love with Will. Rebellious and
passionate, Shakespeare’s verse should roll off this devotee’s
tongue, and she should embody a sense of playfulness and
determination in her attempts to play a man.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 22

FENNYMAN, is a producer of plays – aka “the money.” A
ruthless loan shark with no sense of humor (to Henslowe’s THE ADMIRAL’S MEN
great dismay), Hugh Fennyman cuts an imperious and
intimidating figure. However, his enthusiasm – and NED ALLEYN, the lead actor of the Admiral’s Men, plays
resulting stage fright – at playing the supporting role of the Mercutio, Romeo’s kinsman and close friend. Self-absorbed
Apothecary in Romeo and Juliet endears him to his fellow and a bit reckless, this pompous actor agrees to take the
players and audiences alike. role only when he thinks the play’s title is Mercutio. (For
information on the real Alleyn, see p. 16 of this handbook.)
LAMBERT & FREES, no-nonsense and of few words, are
Fennyman’s flunkies who forcefully help the producer collect SAM, a sweet young actor who plays Juliet, causes panic in
debts owed to him. Shakespeare’s company when his voice changes the day of
Romeo and Juliet’s first performance.
RALPH, a tavern server with actorly ambitions, plays Juliet’s
Nurse and Petruchio, a member of Tybalt’s gang with only PETER, an actor, plays Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin.
one line, in Romeo and Juliet.

NOL, an amateur actor, plays Benvolio, Lord Montague’s

THE CHAMBERLAIN’S MEN
nephew and Romeo’s cousin; and Sampson, a servant to the
BURBAGE, lead actor of the Chamberlain’s Men, a rival
Capulets.
troupe of the Admiral’s Men, and owner of the Curtain
Theatre, becomes enraged and instigates a sword fight with
ROBIN, a male actor, plays Juliet’s mother, Lady Capulet. He
Will when he discovers the playwright gave Romeo and Juliet
can also play ABRAHAM, one of Montague's servants.
to the Admiral’s Men. (For more information on the real
Burbage, see p. 16.)
ADAM, an actor, plays Gregory, a servant to the Capulets;
and Servingman.
Other ACTORS, including two who play VALENTINE and
PROTEUS in The Two Gentleman of Verona.
JOHN WEBSTER, is a street urchin who aspires to be an
actor and possesses an unsettling fondness for plays
Burbage’s HEAVIES (2) do his dirty work for him.
featuring pain and gore (not unlike the real Webster, who
became a writer of such plays; for more information, see
A DOG in The Two Gentlemen of Verona can be trained, on a
p. 17 of this handbook).
leash, offstage (via sound effects) or a puppet. (See p. 48 in
the Staging chapter of this handbook for more details.)
WABASH, Henslowe’s tailor, is an aspiring actor who stutters;
he delivers the prologue to Romeo and Juliet.
THE PALACE

�ot�
MISTRESS QUICKLY, is the wardrobe mistress at Whitehall
Palace.

EDMUND TILNEY, Lord Chamberlain and obsequious

courtier to Queen Elizabeth, manages court entertainment.
Stuttering is a real and commonly Strict and exacting in his position, Tilney is deferential to
misunderstood communication disorder affecting the Queen and censorious to Will and his plays. (For more
over 70 million people around the world. Some information on the real Tilney, see p. 17 of this handbook.)
audience members may be people who stutter, and
so it is important to portray stuttering, which has QUEEN ELIZABETH I, England’s shrewd monarch who loves
nothing to do with intelligence or skill, realistically the theatre but demands comedies that incorporate dogs,
rather than mockingly. For more information on sternly commands her courtiers and playwrights alike. A
stuttering, see p. 72 of this handbook. daunting presence, the Queen delivers her proclamations
drolly and fairly. (For more information on Queen Elizabeth,
see p. 17 of this handbook.)

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 23

 �en �layin� �omen
Women were forbidden by law from performing in Elizabethan theatre, so female characters were played by young
men. These performers were usually aged in their teens, when their voices were still high. Due to developments in diet
and hormonal changes over the centuries, the voices of these boys were believed to break much later than those today,
allowing them to portray women’s roles convincingly until they entered their late teens or possibly their early 20s.

THE TAVERN
The ROWER/BOATMAN is a chatty aspiring playwright.

SERVER/WAITER

BARTENDER/BARMAN

MOLLY & KATE are barmaids (High School Edition)/whores

(Acting Edition) who flirt with Will and the other tavern
patrons.

Backstage, Sam tries to speak as the audience (upstage) watches Romeo and Juliet.
Columbia High School; Maplewood, NJ

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 24

CASTING & AUDITION CHART
The following charts are quick reference guides to use while casting your production. For those roles marked as “gender flexible,”
the costuming of the character should reflect the gender identity of the performer.

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS
Gender Suggested Audition Material Suggested Audition Material
Character Female Male
Flexible (Acting Edition) (High School Edition)
Fennyman P pp. 11-12, 20-21, 42 pp. 11-12, 20-21, 42

Henslowe P pp. 11-12, 15-17 pp. 11-12, 15-17

pp. 9-10, 22-23, 36-38, 71-72, pp. 9-10, 22-23, 36-38, 68-69,
Kit Marlowe P 110-111 105-106

Lord Wessex P pp. 29, 48-49 pp. 29, 48-49

Richard Burbage P pp. 13-14, 44, 88-89 pp. 13-14, 44, 83-84

pp. 18-19, 52-53, 56-58, 59-62, pp. 18-19, 52-53, 55-57,

Viola de Lesseps P 103-105 58-60, 98-99
pp. 9-10, 36-38, 52-53, 56-58, pp. 9-10, 36-38, 52-53, 55-57,
Will Shakespeare P 59-62, 103-105, 110-111 58-60, 98-99, 105-106

FEATURED CHARACTERS
Gender Featured Pages Featured Pages
Character Female Male
Flexible (Acting Edition) (High School Edition)
Abraham P p. 95 p. 90

Adam P pp. 24, 98, 102 pp. 24, 90, 93, 98

Barman/Bartender P p. 22 p. 22

Boatman/Rower P pp. 56-58 pp. 55-57

Catling P p. 30 p. 30

Dog P pp. 13-16, 102 pp. 13-16, 97

pp. 14-15, 68-70, 86-87, 101-102, pp. 14-15, 65-67, 81-82, 96-97,
Edmund Tilney P 106-108 101, 103
Frees P pp. 11-12, 20 pp. 11-12, 20

Guards (2) P p. 40 p. 40

Heavies (2) P pp. 74-76 pp. 71-73

Kate P pp. 78-79 p. 75

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 25

 MORE FEATURED CHARACTERS
Gender Featured Pages Featured Pages
Character Female Male
Flexible (Actor's Edition) (High School Edition)
Lambert P pp. 11-12, 20 pp. 11-12, 20
pp. 24-25, 41-43, 76, 87-88, 97, pp. 24-25, 41-43, 73, 82-83, 92,
John Webster P 102, 107-108 97, 101-102
Mistress Quickly P p. 13 p. 13

Molly P pp. 78-79 p. 75

pp. 42-46, 50-54, 73-75, 80, 86, pp. 42-46, 50-54,70-72, 76, 81,
Ned Alleyn P 93-107 88-101
Nol P pp. 21, 23, 45, 73-74, 79, 95-97 pp. 21, 23, 45, 70-71, 90-92
pp. 18-19, 28, 30-31, 34-35, 39- pp. 18-19, 28, 30-31, 34-35, 39-
Nurse P 40, 48, 64-65, 81, 90-92 40, 48, 62-63, 77, 86-87
Peter P pp. 54, 73-74, 80, 96 pp. 54, 70-71, 76, 91

Proteus P p. 15 p. 15

Queen Elizabeth I P pp. 15-16, 68-70, 107-108 pp. 15-16, 65-67, 101-102
pp. 20-21, 41, 54, 74, 79, 85, pp. 20-21, 41, 54, 71, 75, 80,
Ralph P 99-103 94-98
pp. 43, 46, 52-54, 75, 79, 93-95,
Sam P 98-99
pp. 43, 46, 52-54, 88-90, 94

Sir Robert de Lesseps P pp. 29, 31, 91-92 pp. 29, 31, 86-87

Valentine P pp. 15-16 pp. 15-16

Wabash P pp. 25, 88, 93-95, 101 pp. 25, 83, 88-90, 96

Waiter/Server P p. 20 p. 20

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 26

GENDER SWAP: A CASTING CONCEPT
Shakespeare in Love centers on a theatrical and historical premise that Elizabethan women were forbidden by law from acting on
the public stage; and with the notable exceptions of Viola, her Nurse, and Queen Elizabeth I, its cast of characters is nearly all men.
To successfully stage the conceit that Viola’s acting ambitions result in the transgression of impersonating a male actor, the male
characters in this play need to be played by male actors.

However, should you have a strong group of female actors you wish to showcase, Shakespeare in Love can be gender swapped!
For this concept, cast each role with an actor of the opposite gender: Viola with a male actor, Will with a female actor, John
Webster with a female actor, etc. In other words, the roles retain their original genders (Will is still a male character; Viola, still
female), but the all-actor gender swap allows for a consistency that is dramaturgically sound and retains the spirit of the play while
giving it a modern twist that audiences are sure to delight in.

Shakespeare in Love with a gender-swapped cast

Tuacahn High School; Ivins, UT

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 27

 �ccen��
In determining which accents your performers will use in a production of Shakespeare in Love, it is important
to consider what will best serve the production. Use of dialects onstage is often more a product of collective
imagination rather than of historical accuracy, and as such there are a few different choices that can be made
regarding the accents of Shakespeare in Love. The most important factor is consistency. Whichever route you choose,
make sure all performers in the production are abiding by it.

NATURAL ACCENT
For some productions, the most successful choice will simply be to not implement use of British accents at all. If the
clarity of storytelling will suffer because your performers are focusing on their accents rather than performing the
text, it is best they perform with their natural accents. If you decide not to implement accents across the board, it is
important to ensure that none of your performers attempt to slip in their own accent work, as this will only pull the
audience out of the play.

MODERN BRITISH ACCENT

Another option is to employ modern British accents for the entire cast. While not necessarily historically accurate,
the audience will instantly recognize it as British and it will serve its dramatic purpose. Performers playing characters
such as Queen Elizabeth I, Edmund Tilney, Lord Wessex, and the de Lesseps family might speak with received
pronunciation (known as RP), an upper-class and posh-sounding accent.

ORIGINAL PRONUNCIATION
Lastly, your cast could attempt to recreate an Elizabethan accent, or “original pronunciation” (also known as OP).
While this might be the most historically accurate method of performance, it will not necessarily be the most
dramatically successful. Historians assert that the Elizabethan accent sounded more akin to Northern English or
American accents than to modern British accents.

The easiest way to learn an accent is to listen to it over and over again. Online video clips are excellent resources to
help your cast get started. Additionally, a dialect coach can be used during rehearsals. If that is not possible, check
out the online options listed in the Resources section of this handbook on p. 68.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 28

 DESIGN

T hough Shakespeare in Love takes place in 16th-century London with a large cast of characters, there are lots of ways to
streamline your design for ease of staging and to keep your production budget down. Rather than an elaborately detailed
design, this period piece requires some simplicity and fluidity to keep your audience’s attention on Will and Viola’s blossoming
romance and the passionate players’ premiere of Romeo and Juliet.

SETS
Shakespeare in Love takes place across various locations in London and Greenwich in 1593, from the Rose Theatre to Whitehall
Palace. While there are many ways to approach the scenic design of this show, be sure that all set pieces are selected or designed
to move quickly into position. This is especially helpful for Shakespeare in Love, which requires fluid transitions from location to
location in order to keep a strong pace that consistently engages its audiences. (For tips on how to create thoughtful and seamless
transitions using the score, refer to pp. 46-47 of this handbook.)

The unit set transforms into the Curtain Theatre.

Dr. Phillips High School; Orlando, FL

UNIT SET
Because Shakespeare in Love covers so many places so quickly, consider economizing by creating a unit set loosely modeled after
the multi-leveled structure of an Elizabethan theatre, which can be supported with additional roll-on set pieces and platforms
as needed to indicate more specific locations, such as Viola’s balcony or bed. This structure can be as simple – basic wooden
scaffolding and stairs that offer a story theatre feel, for example – or as specific as you’d like, taking inspiration from 1593 London
architecture. If your unit is largely see-through, you may consider utilizing one or more backdrops to further specify the locations.
Ultimately, it is most important to keep the storytelling clear and fluid rather than to ensure that each location is perfectly
presented in detail.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 29

 WILL’S ROOM
Will begins and ends the play writing at his desk (and Robert
de Lesseps also uses one in Act 2, Scene 8), but with a unit
set you need neither the room or the desk! While you might
consider bringing on a simple wooden table and chair for
the playwright (which can also double as a table in the
tavern), it truly isn’t necessary. Will can easily prop some
parchment against a wall or pillar and scribe his ideas in
a more casual way that keeps the show moving quickly
without the additional set change.
Will writes at his desk.
Columbia High School; Maplewood, NJ
THE ROSE & THE CURTAIN
All scenes that take place within or around the Rose or the
Curtain can be staged in front of your unit set, utilizing its
levels when necessary (e.g., hanging Henslowe over hot
coals). For auditions, rehearsals, and the final performance,
consider creating a dedicated playing space – perhaps a
raised platform to act as a stage – for the actors. This will
help tremendously to distinguish backstage from onstage in
the final scene, but work with your creative team to discover
the best approach for these moments (for tips, see p. 50 of
this handbook). For more information on these theatres, see
pp. 17-18 of the Dramaturgy chapter.

WHITEHALL & GREENWICH PALACES

Will gives direction at the Rose Theatre.
Keep these two locations simple by utilizing your unit set. Chaminade High School; Mineola, NY
Designate a space on the upper level for the Queen to watch
the plays below. To add a sense of occasion and a hint at the
splendor of these two palaces, consider dropping in some
"candle-lit" chandeliers. For more information on these real
locations, see p. 18 of this handbook, and consider searching
for images for further inspiration.

DE LESSEPS HALL
Very little is required by way of design for the scenes in and
surrounding De Lesseps Hall, all of which can occur in front
of your unit set.

VIOLA'S BALCONY
Designated space on the upper level of your set can act as The Queen loves a dog at Whitehall Palace.
Viola’s balcony. Alternatively, consider bringing on a rolling Columbia High School; Maplewood, NJ
platform that can be fitted into your unit, potentially with a
set of French doors opening onto it.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 30

VIOLA'S BEDROOM
The end of Act 1 and beginning of Act 2 requires a four-
poster bed hung with curtains. For school productions
utilizing the High School Edition of Shakespeare in Love,
consider foregoing the bed altogether in favor of a symbolic
curtain on your unit set through which Viola and Will can
exit in Act 1 and enter in Act 2.

ROOM IN DE LESSEPS HALL

Though Act 2, Scene 8 calls for a desk for Sir Robert, once
again this is not an essential set piece. Consider foregoing
the desk in an effort to streamline set changes and maintain
a strong pace between scenes. Viola listens to Will from her balcony.
Dr. Phillips High School; Orlando, FL

TAVERN
Bringing on some wooden tables and benches is a simple
way to set the scene for this watering hole. A high-top table
can work nicely as a bar or, for some more character, place a
long piece of wood over two wooden barrels.

THE RIVER
For Act 1, Scene 16, build a small wooden boat on casters.
For a simpler solution for this short scene, consider seating
Viola (as Thomas Kent) and Will on a small bench with the
Boatman/Rower standing behind them; lighting can help to
sell this uncomplicated concept.
Thomas Kent and Will have a pint at the tavern.

SHIP J. J. Pearce High School; Richardson, TX

Make Viola and Wessex’s departure to Virginia a simple affair.

No need to build a ship – they can simply cross the stage
while a gathered crowd waves goodbye. Consider ways to
further define this moment using lighting and sound effects
(see pp. 39-40 of this handbook for tips).

Will and Thomas Kent discuss Viola on the river.

Columbia High School; Maplewood, NJ

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 31

PROPS
In Elizabethan theatre, performers utilized hand props to set the scene rather than attempt changes in scenery. Similarly,
Shakespeare in Love employs a large number of hand props, which can give the audience the needed context of a scene without
requiring laborious scene transitions that slow down the pace of the play. Props should be realistic and look like they belong
in 1593; however, there are still plenty of opportunities to have fun with this design element. Below is a list of props that are
essential. The numbers in parentheses indicate page(s) they can be found on; if the page numbers differ between the Actor’s
Edition (AE) and the High School Edition, the first number listed indicates the High School Edition and the second, the Actor’s
Edition (e.g., "97/102" notes that the dog is featured p. 97 of the High School Edition and p. 102 of the Actor’s Edition).

ESSENTIAL PROPS
• Paper, quill, ink (9, 12, 105-106/110-111) – The paper
and writing utensils used by Will at the beginning and
end of the play, as well as to sign Fennyman’s contract,
should be historically appropriate. Keep in mind that
feather quill pens dipped in ink were in use at the time,
and that ideally the paper should be off-white since
paper wasn’t bleached until the 19th century.

• Dog (13-14, 16, 97/102) – If your production is unable to

accommodate a live dog, it is possible to use a puppet Will composes a sonnet with a quill and paper.
operated by one of the players. Consider embracing Chaminade High School; Mineola, NY
the humor of this choice without letting it distract from
the action of the play, particularly during the already-
complicated scene in which the dog jumps on Wessex.
For more information on using a live dog and other
options, refer to p. 48 of this handbook.

• Cups, plates, pitchers, etc. (20-23, 75-76/78-80) – Feel

free to use as many or as few hand props to accentuate
the tavern as benefits your production. Props such as
metal cups – glassware was not widespread in England
at the time – and pitchers for the Server/Waiter to pour
from can help to set the scene, and these props can also
The players enjoy pints at the tavern.
aid the many performers in these scenes in creating
Columbia High School; Maplewood, NJ
stage business.

• Letters (30, etc.)

• Parts & pages (41, etc.) – Fun fact: Plays were not
distributed in a compiled script as they would be today,
but rather each actor’s part was written out separately
to avoid unnecessary scribing. Make sure to create many
copies of these props as they might sustain wear, and
keep in mind that Will needs multiple sets of the pages
that he rips when he learns of Marlowe’s death.

Ned Alleyn reviews his part with Will.

Austin Independent School District Fine Arts; Austin, TX

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 32

• Oars (55-57/56-58)

• Rower/Boatman’s manuscript (57/58)

• Laundry basket (62-63/64-65) – Use a wicker basket for

the Nurse’s laundry basket, and fill it with a sheet and
the disguise that Will puts on.

• Sheet (64/66)

• Swords (70-74/73-77) – Ned and the performers will

need swords that are meant to look like props, while A laundry basket sits on Viola’s bed.
Burbage and his Heavies should have more realistic- Columbia High School; Maplewood, NJ
looking swords. Consider fashioning the prop swords
out of wood and purchasing plastic swords from a
costume shop for the more realistic ones. To keep your
actors safe in their swordplay, see Stage Combat Tips on
p. 49 of this handbook.

• Script & manuscript (74-77, etc.) – The manuscript

and Webster’s script both need to be fairly durable to
withstand their rough treatment in the chaos of this
scene. Ensure that they look somewhat similar so that
the swap will work effectively.

• Daggers (81/86, etc.) – Like the discrepancy between Will and Wessex fight with swords.
the types of swords, it can be effective for Wessex’s Dr. Phillips High School; Orlando, FL
dagger to look more realistic than Will’s prop dagger.
Purchase rubber or retractable daggers for your
performers’ safety.

• Marriage contract (86/91)

• Playbill (86/91) – Rather than a modern playbill, an

Elizabethan program would simply have been a one-
sheet.

• Beaker (88/93) – You can reuse one of the cups from the
tavern for this prop that Sam gargles from.

• Apothecary’s vial (100-106) – Use a small plastic vial

instead of one made of glass for the safety of your
performers.
Will threatens Wessex with a dagger.
Dr. Phillips High School; Orlando, FL
• Purse (102/108) – This purse should be the same one
that Robert de Lesseps gave to Lord Wessex.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 33

 OPTIONAL PROPS
• Hot coals (11) – Lambert and Frees can hold Henslowe
over a metal bucket, but this prop can also be eliminated
altogether if they employ a different form of torture, or
depending on your set design.

• Coin & gold (22, 57/58, 86/91) – Consider blocking your

performers to mime payment to avoid the need for this
small prop, which can include the money that Robert de
Lesseps gives to Wessex.
Lambert and Frees hold Henslowe over a bucket of hot coals.
Dr. Phillips High School; Orlando, FL

COSTUMES
Elizabethans were fashion-forward, luxuriating in sumptuous fabrics and vibrant, rich colors. Because quality of apparel was
an immediate indicator of one’s wealth (or lack thereof ), the more opulent and dramatic the apparel, the higher in class the
individual. Even Shakespeare took advantage of this trend, employing costume to greater effect in his work than playwrights
previous to him.

Depending on your vision for Shakespeare in Love, your costumes can be as simple or as historically detailed as you desire.
Costume design reveals when and where the play takes place, but it also serves to visually distinguish the economic and social
class of the characters. In the Elizabethan era, the Queen attempted to keep everyone in their place by passing laws dictating who
could wear what (for more information on these sumptuary laws, see p. 9 of this handbook); for example, no one under the level
of knight could don silk stockings or velvet outer garments. While your design needn’t stick to the letter of the law – in this case,
the 1597 Proclamation – it’s important to consider how color, texture, and fabric can distinguish nobility like Lord Wessex from
poor players such as Nol in order to emphasize the differences between them in regards to access and power.

For an economic design, consider creating two costumes per actor: an everyday look and a performance costume (if they are
a player). The former can be somewhat muted, while the latter should be dramatic in color and design to help differentiate the
players from the rest of your actors during the final performance. To help build your costumes, this chapter provides information
on typical Elizabethan clothing for both sexes, as well tips on how to costume some specific characters.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 34

 WOMEN
For Viola and the other courtiers, an hourglass figure was key to
forming the Elizabethan ideal of female beauty and often was
created via the following articles of clothing:

DEEP, SQUARE NECKLINE

Sometimes this would be framed with a ruff. A more conservative
look – such as for the Nurse – would forego this neckline in favor of
keeping all skin covered.

RUFF
Worn by both sexes, ruffs were structured, starched high collars,
and though portraits of the time show them to be white, most were
actually tinted a more attractive pink or yellow. Use these to help
differentiate characters of higher status – the Queen, Viola, Wessex –
from the working class.

BODICE
This corset creates a flat front line needed for many gowns of the time.

FARTHINGALE/BUMROLL
While some gowns boasted pleats stuffed with batting and stiffened
near the top to create the ideal shape, other times women would
Queen Elizabeth I wears a square neckline and ruff.
wear frames (farthingales) or small, padded crescents around their
Columbia High School; Maplewood, NJ
hips (bumrolls) to make skirts spring out more. Consider adding the
latter to your actors’ skirts and gowns to complete the Elizabethan
silhouette.

QUEEN ELIZABETH I
England’s astute and fashionable monarch was at the top of the
social hierarchy. When she presented herself to her public, she was
pristinely and fabulously adorned, glittering with jewels and rich
embroidery. Costume her regally, even ostentatiously – Queen
Elizabeth was said to have had over 1,000 hugely extravagant and
over-the-top gowns! Ideally, the Queen will wear a different gown for
each of her three scenes. Because gold was only allowed on barons
and those of higher ranking, consider making Her Majesty stand out
from her subjects as the only one onstage with gold embellishments.

The Queen was so meticulous about her appearance, it is believed

her daily dressing ritual took nearly four hours and included donning
Juliet (Viola), Ralph (Nurse) & Robin (Lady Capulet)
her so-called “mask of youth.” To recreate this iconic appearance,
Columbia High School; Maplewood, NJ
considering covering the Queen’s face, neck, and hands with white
powder; painting her lips red; and lining her eyes in black. The Queen
was well-known for wigs – she had over 80! – so feel free to adorn
this monarch’s head with an iconic red wig and ornate headpiece.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 35

 VIOLA DE LESSEPS
Other than the other courtiers attending the ball (Act 1, Scene
9), Viola is the only noblewoman, so costume her accordingly
in beautiful, textured dresses. As herself, she should be striking,
with a very feminine look, so accessorize her with delicate
embroidery, soft colors, and lace. While Viola could have a myriad
of costume changes (should you wish to showcase a talented
designer!), for the most economic design, create just four looks:
an “everyday” gown that she can wear in most scenes, a wedding
gown, a nightgown for the top of Act 2 (a simple shift works
well), and her male disguise. Keep in mind, though, that this
actor has quite a few quick changes, so avoid making any pieces
Will (center) gives direction to Sam and Thomas Kent.
that are too complicated or difficult to get in and out of.
Columbia High School; Maplewood, NJ
When disguised as Thomas Kent, attire this passionate player
in similar fashion to the other performers (see p. 37-38 of this
handbook), while hinting at her wealthier background with finer
fabrics and more vibrant dyes. Because the male silhouette of
the time was quite feminine (accentuating the hips) and the
fashion was so structured, Viola’s natural figure can be hidden
quite easily. Add a moustache and pull her hair under a cap – just
be sure her face is always clearly visible.

NURSE
Dress Viola’s devoted servant in a modest dress or skirt and
sleeves – no plunging neckline here, but rather a buttoned-
up look – in muted or dark colors. Should you wish her to don
the traditional nun's veil-like headpiece, consider making one
with an old set of bed sheets and a novelty sailor hat! Using a Nurse comforts a distraught Viola.
pillowcase, cut a large-enough hole that is comfortable for your Austin Independent School District Fine Arts; Austin, TX
actor’s face to show through; cover the sailor hat with the same
material from the sheet set, and tack a length of the material to
the hat that hangs approximately mid-back.

MOLLY, KATE & MISTRESS QUICKLY

Costume these working women in blouses and bodices paired
with floor-length layered skirts. Top off each look with an apron
and boots. If you’ve added additional women to the background
in the tavern scenes, dress them in a similar style.

Kate flirts with Will to Viola/Kent’s dismay.

Dr. Phillips High School; Orlando, FL

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 36

 MEN
Men sported a square silhouette, supported by a plethora of
padding. To create this effect, men’s clothing typically included:

DOUBLET
Like women, men desired small waists (they sometimes even
wore girdles!), so dress your actors in tight-waisted, stiffened
jackets. These doublets should also have padded, structured
skirts of varying length.

BREECHES
These knee-length trousers were heavily padded, worn over
Edmund Tilney and courtiers attend to the Queen.
hose, and often had ornamental buckles or elaborate garters
Columbia High School; Maplewood, NJ
at the bottoms for upper-class men like Robert de Lesseps. The
breeches of working men – which would include the players –
were baggy (no structured padding here!) and lacking of the
more fashionable adornments. If a man had really nice legs that
he wanted to show off, he would simply wear hose paired with a
slightly longer doublet!

PINKING
In a trend begun during this period, both men and women
would don clothing decorated with patterned slits cut into
the fabric. These cuts in the outer layers of garments (sleeves,
doublets, gowns) exposed the linings beneath, which were often
different colors. The linings would then be pulled through in little
puffs to emphasize the contrasting coloring. Consider employing
this decorative style on wealthy characters like Lord Wessex and
Robert de Lesseps to differentiate them from the many common
players. Lord Wessex courts Viola.
Austin Independent School District Fine Arts; Austin, TX

LORD WESSEX, ROBERT DE LESSEPS

& EDMUND TILNEY
Considering their higher status, dress these gentlemen in
more formal, well-made doublets. To further distinguish them,
consider adding some flair, such as a hat or cap with a feather
or jewel, a nice pair of gloves, or a cape. Long, thick capes were
practical but dashing ways to keep warm, while shorter, lighter
capes were worn solely to be fashionable.

WILL SHAKESPEARE & KIT MARLOWE

Kit and Will enjoy a pint.
As the more successful writer (who also had a patron), Marlowe J. J. Pearce High School; Richardson, TX
should dress with more monied sophistication, but both
playwrights tend toward the romantic, so costume them
accordingly. When Will’s composing, he may just be in loose

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 37

shirtsleeves, breeches, and boots, only to add a doublet or leather
jerkin (a vest) when he heads to the playhouse or the ball. In addition,
Romeo’s author requires a Romeo costume as well as a skirt and a
sheet to cover his face when disguising himself as Viola’s “cousin,”
Wilhelmina.

THE PLAYERS
For poor young players like Sam and Nol, keep it simple with
shirtsleeves and breeches, and remember that John Webster is a
street urchin, so his clothes would likely look a little worse for the
wear. For a clever touch, ensure that Wabash is dressed smartly, if
simply, in clothes that fit him well – he is a tailor, after all! Because
Ned Alleyn and Richard Burbage are lead players and sharers in their
respecting companies, their costumes should reflect more style and Will speaks to Ned as Webster looks on.
panache than the rest of their fellow actors. For rehearsal scenes, Columbia High School; Maplewood, NJ
consider adding rehearsal skirts of petticoats to those portraying
women and different-colored sashes to those playing Montagues
and Capulets – this will help your audience tell the characters apart.
Remember, also, to give each of the Romeo and Juliet performers a
special costume for the performance.

PHILIP HENSLOWE & HUGH FENNYMAN

Though the debt-ridden Henslowe would be pinching pennies, he’d
want to keep up appearances, so give him a decent-looking doublet
and hat. Fennyman, on the other hand, is “the money,” and should
dress accordingly with an air of pomposity, so give him a cape, a hat,
and a well-decorated doublet.

Wilhelmina speaks with Lord Wessex.

Dr. Phillips High School; Orlando, FL

The players rehearse.

Dr. Phillips High School; Orlando, FL

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 38

LIGHTING
Shakespeare in Love follows the progress of Will’s writing, Viola’s passion for the stage, and Will and Viola’s blossoming romance
across multiple locations – and your lighting design can help track these by creating mood and supporting the emotional tenor of
any given scene. Due to the play’s many transitions, lighting also will be a tremendous help in establishing location and passage of
time.

Much of Shakespeare in Love occurs indoors during a period when candles would be the main source of light, so consider how you
can use lighting to distinguish these settings – Will’s room, the Queen’s palaces, De Lesseps Hall, and the tavern – from those that
take place outdoors. Remember that in 1593, theatrical performances occurred during the afternoon in open-air theatres and so
scenes in the Rose and the Curtain would utilize natural light. (Artificial lighting was used in Elizabethan theatres beginning in
1596 with the establishment of the Blackfriars Theatre.) Knowing this, consider how you can use lighting to help distinguish the
playing space from backstage and the rest of the theatre.

Additionally, think about employing warm and cool washes to indicate the time of day and how specific scenes could benefit
from a more varied color palette. For example, a combination of warm colors with a flickering effect can help establish a candle-lit
tavern. To set up an atmosphere of splendor for the ball, consider dropping in a “candle-lit” chandelier. No matter your approach,
just be sure that your actors can always be seen clearly. If utilizing a less literal unit set, lighting can be a great tool to help your
audience follow the story and its characters’ development.

Viola performs at the Curtain Theatre.

Dr. Phillips High School; Orlando, FL

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 39

SOUND
While strong lighting choices will create distinctions between your interior and exterior locations and help with the fluidity of
transitions, your sound design will help fill in the details of those locations. Work with your designer to create moments that can
support the atmosphere of 16th-century London while not competing with the storytelling. Use Paddy Cunneen’s score (provided
with your license; see pp. 46-47 of this handbook for more information) to enhance scene transitions and to maintain clarity of
storytelling, and settle on just a few key moments for effects that can punctuate key dramatic moments such as the:

• Splash (p. 57/58) as Will throws the Rower/Boatman’s manuscript into the river;
• Fireworks (Acting Edition only, p. 70) following the Queen’s revelation that Viola has been “plucked;”
• Crack of thunder (p. 78/82) that punctuates Wessex’s declaration to Viola that “her playwright” has died.

Decide early on if you will use body microphones for your production. Take into account the acoustics of your space, the
vocal projection of your actors, and the design of your costumes. Elizabethan costuming is structured with a lot of layers and
accessories, which may affect placement of mics, and your cast will need to be able to move freely with secure and well-placed
body mics. It is important that audience members are able to properly hear and understand the Elizabethan verse and stylized
dialogue, particularly when both occur simultaneously during the final performance of Romeo and Juliet. If you choose to outfit
your actors with body mics, do some research before renting. Ensure the rental package you choose can fit into your budget while
giving you the quality you need. No one wants audible cracking and popping sounds to spoil the performances of the actors. Also,
consider putting a monitor onstage – a standard feature of most sound rental packages – so actors can hear themselves.

If using live musicians, take care when choosing where they will be on, or in relationship to, the stage. If you choose to utilize
live, but not onstage, musicians, ask these orchestra members to join you for an early rehearsal with your actors to inform your
decision of their placement. Alternatively, if you choose to use the Performance Tracks instead, try putting the speakers at the back
of the stage so the actors can hear the music clearly.

Will and Thomas Kent take a boat ride.

J. J. Pearce High School; Richardson, TX

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 40

 REHEARSAL EXERCISES

A s director, your job is not only to helm the vision of the show, but also to assist your actors in developing a bond as an
ensemble, introduce them to the world of the play, and guide them to join you in the storytelling process. Below you will find
a wide variety of exercises that will help you do just that. Each of the activities is designed to help your actors build their identity
as an ensemble, understand the historical context of Shakespeare in Love, and assist them in developing rich characters.

The activities in the BUILDING ENSEMBLE section can be facilitated before the show is cast and rehearsals begin; those outlined
in the CREATING CHARACTER and CONNECTING TO THE STORY AND MUSIC are designed to be facilitated during the rehearsal
process once the show is cast. By referencing the “use this to” notes, pick and choose from the suggestions below, selecting the
activities that best suit your cast’s needs.

BUILDING ENSEMBLE
These exercises are designed to unify your cast and build a foundation on which you can work toward cohesive storytelling.
Beginning your process with several of these activities will set the tone for your rehearsals and develop a strong ensemble. You
can also use them as warm-ups once rehearsals have begun.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Use this to: develop ensemble and teamwork among your cast.

The Admiral’s Men is the name of the acting company in Shakespeare in Love, as well as the name of a real troupe in Elizabethan
England. Invite your cast to create their own “troupe.” Your entire company can be a part of the same troupe or if you’ve already
cast the show, consider grouping actors by role (e.g., The Players, The Nobility, The Money). Once a name is selected, ask the
group members to discuss the strengths they each bring to the ensemble. Finally, create a group motto together, e.g., “We’re the
Admiral’s Men and we play for the Queen!” You can use this motto as a group rally cry to begin or end rehearsals.

RULES OF THE REHEARSAL

Use this to: understand the behavior expected in Queen Elizabeth’s court and to establish agreements for rehearsal.

The court of Queen Elizabeth was an honored placed to be, but it also came with expectations to be followed while in the
presence of the Queen. Facilitate a brief discussion: What do you think some of the expectations were of those in the Queen’s
court? (e.g., don’t speak when the Queen is speaking; always be on time for the Queen). What were some of the reasons for those
expectations? Next, share with your cast that a code of conduct is always useful for a group of people working together whether
the Queen is present or not! With your cast, create a “code of conduct” list of agreements for rehearsal. Side coach with questions
such as: What do we need to have a successful rehearsal process? How can we create a safe environment for taking risks? Post your
established agreements in a visible place throughout the rehearsal process.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 41

 PARTNER TO PARTNER
Use this to: help your ensemble members get to know one another.

Form two concentric circles with your actors. The circles should face each other, to create partners. If you have an odd number of
actors, join your cast to create an even number or form a group of three. Give the participants a prompt to respond to, e.g., What is
your favorite moment or theme in Shakespeare in Love and why? What is your favorite of Shakespeare's play and why?

• Round One: Give the outside circle one minute to share their answer while the inside partner listens without responding.
Once the minute is up, swap so the inside partner can share their response to the prompt.
• Round Two: Ask the outside circle to move one person to their left, while the inside circle stays in place. The new partners
share their answer to the same prompt, but this time, they only have 30 seconds each to share.
• Round Three: The outside circle will once again move one person to the left, and this time each partner has only 15
seconds to share the answer to the same prompt.

Reflect on this exercise with your cast: What was it like to be the listener? What did you learn about your cast members? Did you
notice any commonalities among your Shakespeare interests?

ONE-WORD SONNET
Use this to: build a foundation for collaboration while connecting to Shakespeare’s work.

Invite actors into a standing circle. Select a theme in the show (e.g., writer’s block, finding inspiration, etc.). Moving clockwise
around the circle, ask each person to share a phrase or a word that relates to the chosen theme, creating a group poem. For an
additional challenge, share with your cast the structure of a sonnet: fourteen lines divided into three stanzas of four lines each and
a final couplet. The rhyme scheme is: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Consider writing this structure on a large piece of paper for them to
reference. Repeat the activity; however, this time, guide your cast to consider the sonnet structure and rhyme scheme as they add
to the group poem. Repeat this exercise as a warm-up and see how well-versed your participants become at collaborating to write
sonnets and understanding the themes of the show.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 42

CREATING CHARACTER
The exercises in this section will help actors refine their physical, vocal, and imaginative skills to create defined characters.

GROUNDLING, THESPIAN, NOBILITY, ROYALITY

Use this to: explore how status and character affect movement.

Invite each actor to draw one card from a deck of cards without showing it to anyone. The card they draw will determine the status
of that actor’s character for this game using the following key:

• Groundling: 2-6
• Thespian: 7-9
• Nobility: 10 and Jack
• Royalty: Queen, King, and Ace

Instruct your actors to move freely about the space, encouraging them to walk as they typically would. After the group has settled
into a comfortable pace, ask participants to adjust their movement according to the status found on their card. Side coach them
to interact with the other characters in the room using the following questions: What do you notice about other actors’ movement
and levels? Keeping your own status in mind, how does this change your interaction with other actors? What information does this
give you about your status and your relationships with other actors?

Apply to rehearsal: by repeating this activity prior to scene work with your actors in role as their characters. How does this inform
the relationships between characters?

CHARACTER & COSTUME WALKS

Use this to: explore how costume informs or distinguishes character.

Invite your actors to move freely about the space, encouraging them to walk as they typically would. After the group has settled,
ask them to take note of how they move, how the floor feels beneath their feet, how their bodies move through space, what part
or area of their bodies seems to lead them, etc. Next, encourage them to move through the space in a new way. First, coach them
through leading with different body parts (head, heart, hips, knees, toes), returning to neutral in between each body part. Next,
have your cast experiment with how it might feel to wear different costume pieces (e.g., high heels, a long and full dress, a very
high collar, no shoes) and to consider how those pieces would affect their character’s movement. Consider pairing this activity
with “Groundling, Thespian, Nobility, Royalty” to combine status, intention, and costume into how characters move within the play.

Apply to rehearsal: by side coaching your actors with questions such as: How might these different costume pieces affect your
character’s movement? If your character sometimes plays a character of the opposite gender, how might they differentiate their
own movement from that of the differently gendered character?

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 43

 AUDIENCE WITH THE QUEEN
Use this to: help your actors examine their story and motivations.

Invite one actor to take their seat as their character as if they are in the Queen’s court. If the participant plays more than one
character, they can choose any one for this activity. The Queen’s Announcer will announce the character (e.g., “Lady Viola de
Lesseps…” or “Hugh Fennyman…”). Invite other actors as members of the Queen’s court, to ask questions of the announced
character. Questions can include: “Why do you love attending the theatre?” or “How did you come to be a producer of plays?”
The character in the hot seat should answer the questions based on the knowledge they have of their character and what they
can imagine about their character based on evidence from the script and historical context.

Apply to rehearsal: by instructing actors to take note of new character discoveries in order to help them create well-rounded
characters.

GIBBERISH
Use this to: familiarize actors with the language and intention of Elizabethan English.

Pair your actors and ask them to determine who will be the expert and who will be the translator. Share that the expert can
only speak in gibberish (or nonsense sounds), and that the translator will interpret what the expert is saying. Give actors a
theme from the show, such as forbidden love, to help focus their conversations. Continue this activity by giving each pair a set
of Shakespearean lines from the show (e.g., a phrase from “Sonnet 18”). For this round, instruct the expert to speak gibberish in
iambic pentameter rhythm and with the intention of the lines. Then, challenge the translator to speak the actual lines with the
expert’s rhythm and intention.

Apply to rehearsal: by layering in actors’ lines from the show to help your cast better understand and recite their challenging
lines or phrases.

CONNECTING TO THE STORY AND MUSIC

Facilitate these activities at the beginning of your rehearsal process to introduce your cast to the world of the play. Use them to
bring dramaturgy and the music of Shakespeare in Love to life in your rehearsals and to help your actors connect to the historical
context of the show.

HUMAN TIMELINE
Use this to: help actors understand the time period in which Shakespeare lived.

Create “timeline cards,” or cards that highlight important events that occurred in theatre and Shakespeare’s life during the
Elizabethan era (see p. 19 of this handbook for a list of events and their dates). However, make sure you do not include the dates
on the cards! Group your actors into teams of two or three people and give each group a timeline card. Ask each group to create a
tableau, or frozen picture, that illustrates their assigned event, and to include a title. Prompt each group to present their tableaus.
Next, instruct your cast to work as a group to put each tableau in order from the earliest occurring event to the latest. Once they
think they are in the right order, check and make sure your cast has the timeline correct!

Apply to rehearsal: by encouraging your actors to use elements from history to create specificity in their character choices. For
example: The plague closed all theatres. How do you think your character feels to discover the theatres reopened?

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 44

 DEVELOPING SETTING
Use this to: develop the environment of different locations in Shakespeare in Love.

Choose a setting from the show where groups of people gather, such as the tavern or Whitehall Palace. Encourage your actors to
offer ideas about who and what might be part of that scene (e.g., a group of people dancing, a group eating and drinking, a group
of nobility tending to Queen Elizabeth, etc.). As actors give suggestions, ask them to create that part of the scene with their bodies
in a frozen picture, or tableau. Eventually, everyone should be onstage as part of the scene. Invite actors to add small movements
and sounds within their tableaus that reflect the environment of the scene. Give actors the cue to “freeze.” Tap individual actors on
the shoulder and ask them to speak aloud what their character is thinking. Be sure to tap actors in different groups to explore how
those in the same scene can respond differently, adding depth and excitement.

Apply to rehearsal: by letting these tableaus become the foundation for the staging of large group scenes.

THE SHARER & THE TROUPE

Use this to: introduce music from the show and develop movement to inspire transitions and collaboration.

Gather your actors together in a close group center stage. Introduce the concept that in the Elizabethan era, theatre troupes were
hierarchical, and the most senior actors, who also received a share of the profits, were called “sharers.” (For more information about
class structure in Elizabethan England, see pp. 8-10 of this handbook.) You can also share about “hirelings” and “apprentices” and
how they had different levels of status, while all contributing to the success of the production.

Tell your cast that in this activity, they will have the opportunity to step into the role of sharer and lead their troupe in movement.
Play music from the Shakespeare in Love Performance Tracks. Ask for a volunteer to be the sharer and to lead simple movements to
the music from the front of the group. Everyone else should work together to follow the sharer’s movements and move in unison.
Side coach the sharer to be clear with their movements, and the group to follow the movements as precisely as possible. When
a movement moves the group to face a new direction, a new actor that is now in the front of the group seamlessly transitions to
become the sharer. Repeat this process, allowing new sharers to emerge as the group faces new directions and explores different
movements.

Apply to rehearsal: by incorporating some of your favorite movement that the actors devise into your choreography and
transitions within the show.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 45

 STAGING & SCORE

W hile the physical world of Shakespeare in Love can be created with just a few props and set pieces to evoke 16th-century
London, your approach to the staging and score should keep the focus on the rich mosaic of characters and the play’s
elevated language – all while maintaining a smooth pace. Embrace a more conceptual use of space and consider how to use your
playing space to imaginatively construct different locations within the story while also helping track relationships and themes;
the score and lighting (see the Design chapter on pp. 29-40 of this handbook for tips) will also help tremendously with this.
Use the tips – for both the score and specific scenes – in the following pages to keep the story clear and at the forefront of your
production, as well as aid you in finding the momentum and drive that embodies the spirit of this love letter to the theatre.

PLAY ON: UTILIZING THE SCORE

In his Composer's Notes (see the front of the score), Paddy Cunneen describes his approach to the piece, as well as modifications
made for subsequent productions. Many of these modifications were intended for professional performers, and you may find that
you need to further adjust the score to fit the needs for your particular production. If this is your first experience working with
Renaissance music, there are a wealth of local colleges, historical societies, and faith communities that can provide assistance,
expertise, and access to early-music players or instruments (see p. 70 of this handbook for resources on Renaissance music). If
access to these instruments is not possible, try to utilize acoustic instruments over electronic ones in order to preserve the mood
of the original score.

PERFORMANCE TRACKS
Every license includes both Guide Vocal Tracks and Performance Tracks, and it is up to you whether you perform the instrumental
sections live during performance or rely on the tracks. You may also choose to do a combination of both, highlighting a few key
musicians as part of the action onstage and relying on the accompaniment to fill in the rest.

VOCAL PARTS & PRONUNCIATION

For both the Acting Edition and High School Edition, it is permissible to swap a female alto for the written counter-tenor solos.
They could alternatively be sung by a small ensemble or section of a choir. Regardless of the singers assigned, refer to the Guide
Vocal Tracks for help with style and Latin pronunciation. Feel free to share these recordings with your performers early in the
rehearsal process so that everyone is on the same page.

TIPS FOR USING MUSIC IN THE HIGH SCHOOL EDITION

Because the score for Shakespeare in Love is challenging, and especially so for young performers, if you have licensed the High
School Edition, you may choose to omit any sung material; these optional lyrics are marked within brackets throughout the script.
(There is also one instance of optional dialogue in this edition: If employing live musicians, whether onstage or off, consider
keeping Fennyman’s refrain of “Shut it!” It’s a nearly guaranteed laugh when the music comes to an abrupt stop each time!)

While all sung material is optional in the High School Edition, it is encouraged that you use the provided score for underscoring
and transitions, though you should feel free to truncate or fade early if the full cue is not needed to get you from scene to scene.
For example, “Bed Arrives” should move your production smoothly from the end of Act 1, Scene 4 into Scene 5. If you choose to

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 46

omit the musicians’ lyrics in the midst of Viola’s speech, she should proceed without breaking while the track or musicians fade
out or continue as underscoring until the music ends naturally. Whichever approach you choose, the score will help tremendously
to create smooth transitions between locations, maintain a steady pace, and set the mood for the scenes. Theatre is a live art, so
utilize the music in the way that best serves the needs of your specific production and performers.

NOTE FOR BOTH SCRIPT EDITIONS

Several of the transitional cues are intended to start before the end of the previous scene. Refer to the score for specific line cues,
and ensure they are being played at the metronome marking listed. Almost all of the cues are meant to feel like a seamless blend
between scenes.

CHOREOGRAPHY
Structured as a play with atmospheric musical transitions and underscoring, Shakespeare in Love showcases only a single scene
that requires traditional choreography. However, if you have the talent and desire, there are other moments that can benefit from
stylized movement. For example, you might consider creating a highly theatrical dumb show for the wedding of Wessex and Viola
or an elaborate entrance for Queen Elizabeth and her attendants.

PAVANES
At the De Lesseps’ ball, Will, Viola, and Wessex, as well as
other guests, perform a pavane, a popular type of dance (and
music) during the Renaissance. During this slow and stately
processional dance, performers circle the room, advancing
and retreating. Retreating gentlemen lead their partners by
the hand and, after some curtsies and steps, the gentlemen
regain their places. Then, a single gentleman advances
and salutes the lady opposite him. After stepping back, he
returns to his place, bowing to his partner. See p. 70 of the
Resources section of this handbook for more information on
Renaissance dance.
Wessex and Viola (center) dance a pavane as Will looks on.
J. J. Pearce High School; Richardson, TX
THE BALL & DANCE REHEARSAL
It’s important to remember that formal dances, such as the pavane, in the Elizabethan era were largely ceremonial and were
meant to draw attention to the participants, rather than the movement. They were a way to promenade the class and wealth of
the guests in an elegant and grand manner, but if you wish to showcase more intricate choreography in this scene, limit that to
your ensemble; just be sure that the movement doesn’t distract from the dialogue. The focus should always be on the exchanges
between Will, Viola, and Wessex, so keep their choreography very simple with basic turns and advancing and retreating.
Remember, this is Viola and Will’s first exchange (as themselves), and so it is vital that the audience always hear and see them,
as well as Wessex, clearly. The same approach should be made with the dance rehearsal in Act 1, Scene 15. Keep it simple –
remember, some of your male actors may be dancing in a dress or skirt for the first time – and always be sure that Kent and Sam
can be heard and seen clearly.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 47

STAGING SCENES
THE QUEEN LOVES A DOG
Shakespeare in Love requires a dog for a couple scenes, but not to worry! There are a
few ways to approach this canine comedian:

• hire a trained dog that responds to cues (and, of course, treats!);

• keep the dog on a leash;
• use offstage sound effects;
• create a dog puppet.

If utilizing sound effects, the “jumping” dog would be offstage in Act I, Scene 2,
as would Valentine’s monologue in Act 1, Scene 4; this approach requires some
creative staging and a game cast to sell it. Alternatively, the last option of creating a
puppet is sure to elicit some big laughs from your audience, especially during Tilney A dog performs for the Queen.
and Burbage’s exchange at the end of Act 1, Scene 2. Chaminade High School; Mineola, NY

Whatever your approach, if you’re not using a professionally trained dog, you might consider omitting its final appearance in the
play and discover other ways to remove Wessex from the scene; this can be as simple as having the actors grab him and lead him
offstage. Whichever approach you choose, remember that despite best intentions, an adorable pup is always a scene stealer, so
limit its presence to what the script calls for. Have fun!

THE MANUSCRIPT SWAP

The manuscript swap and fight between Ned and Burbage in Act
2, Scene 3 requires careful stage choreography, as there are a lot
of actors involved in what can be an intricate blocking sequence.
Be sure to plan for this when creating your rehearsal schedule
and allot enough time early on to choreograph this stage action
efficiently and, most importantly, safely. (For more guidance, see
Stage Combat Tips on the following page.) To make it as smooth
and believable as possible, rehearse this scene frequently, and
throughout your rehearsal process.

Another element to consider when devising your staging for The Manuscript Swap
the swap is your set design: Will there be levels that actors can J. J. Pearce High School; Richardson, TX
traverse quickly and safely and use to drop the script down or
toss it up? Are there set pieces that your players can hide behind with the manuscript, where the potential swap might happen?
Work with your designer to ensure that any elements used in this sequence are built early in rehearsals or before they begin. This
is not a scene that can be thrown together successfully during tech; achieving the right rhythm will take time.

Consider where it makes the most sense to block Webster for the script swap and then devise your staging backwards from there,
with Ned and Burbage fighting in the foreground as the ultimate distraction. Staging “chaos” can be challenging, so be careful of
making this too complicated. Some skillful sleight of hand and clean misdirection between the participating players, while those
that never touch the manuscript further divert with their own specific, well-timed blocking will help sell this controlled chaos.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 48

 �ta�e � om�a� Ti�s
In Shakespeare in Love’s second act, Will and Wessex’s fight and the manuscript swap sequence include a lot of
sword-fighting as well as hand-to-hand combat and other stage business that requires meticulous and well-timed
choreography. While you can hire a professional fight choreographer to assist you, below are some tips on devising
your own stage combat for your production that is both safe and specific.

• Stage combat is also referred to as fight choreography because it needs to be as specific in movement as a
choreographed dance would be. Traffic patterns (or tracks) must be replicable in order to keep your cast safe.
• When blocking, walk through the movements in slow-motion first. While this can be an opportunity for actors
to help devise the fight choreography, it is also the time to set very clear parameters using rehearsal props.
• If underscoring is involved, consider how you can choreograph the fight to align with the music, just like a
dance number.
• Start small and add on to the action – i.e., begin with two people, slowly adding in any others. Start with key
beats, layering in details once your actors become comfortable and confident.
• Both parties should be in control at all times, but the reactor, or receiver of an action, should be dictating the
movement. The instigator of the action initiates the contact, but the reactor performs the follow through.
• The parameters of each rehearsal should be clarified before you begin, e.g., tempo (slow motion or real time),
use of props, etc. Always make sure everyone is on the same page.
• Schedule a fight call before every performance during which your actors can practice their specific fight
choreography. Remind them that the adrenaline produced during live performance brings with it the
possibility of mistakes, so it is important to work through these moments over and over directly before
curtain.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 49

 ROMEO AND JULIET: ONSTAGE & BACKSTAGE
The play-within-a-play in Act 2, Scene 9 is one of the most Alternatively, if using a multi-leveled unit set that
challenging sequences in Shakespeare in Love, and is also incorporates curtains on the bottom level that can be pulled
one of the most technically and dramatically satisfying for back, you can flip your audience’s perspective by blocking
both your team and your audience. To keep the intersecting the Romeo and Juliet players upstage of the curtain, while
dialogues running as smoothly and clearly as possible, be Will and the others remain downstage, or “backstage.”
sure to build your rehearsal schedule in a way that allows
enough time early on and throughout your process to Another idea – a combination of the two above – is to place
rehearse this sequence frequently. Due to the back-and- a “curtain” downstage and off to one side (consider rolling on
forth dialogue, it’ll be easy for an actor to say or hear the one in casters, à la a room partition). With this concept, your
wrong line, potentially throwing the scene off; avoid this by Romeo and Juliet performers can stand center stage (or on
developing muscle memory through repetitive rehearsals. a platform, facing downstage, toward “audience members”
who are seated facing them). Again, lighting will help sell
As to staging this onstage-backstage moment, there are a this concept while helping to track the story and characters
number of approaches to consider, but a lot will depend on for your audience.
your scenic design; be sure to think through your approach
thoroughly with your designer before you begin rehearsals. If you’ve settled on one of the above approaches, rehearsed
The following are a couple ideas to consider: it sufficiently, and are still having some trouble with the
timing, consider “muting” the Romeo and Juliet lines that
If you and your designer have settled on creating a are interspersed with the backstage dialogue – either
dedicated playing space for the performers – which can having them spoken very quietly so that they are nearly
be as simple as a raised platform to one side of your stage unintelligible, or simply directing your actors to pantomime
(see "The Rose & The Curtain" on p. 30 of this handbook for their actions as though they are speaking to one another.
design tips) – lighting can help draw your audience’s focus (This approach will work best if your audience can see the
to the actors they should pay attention to at any given time. muted performers.)

Will and Viola perform as Romeo and Juliet.

Dr. Phillips High School; Orlando, FL

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 50

 AUDIENCE & STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

P roducing a musical is an excellent opportunity to deepen your connection with your community. Whether you’re affiliated
with a high school, college, or community or professional theatre, presenting Shakespeare in Love offers a myriad of rich
opportunities for audience engagement, including the three methods below.

TALKBACKS: FOR ALL AUDIENCES

Post-show talkbacks are an excellent platform for audiences to forge deeper connections with your production. Providing a
talkback offers audience members an opportunity to connect with one another, the cast, and/or creative team in a discussion
about what the show means to them. The Talkbacks section offers tips for facilitating talkbacks following your performances.

PRE- AND POST-SHOW WORKSHOPS: FOR ALL AUDIENCES

Attending the theatre can be a transformative experience. When the theatregoing experience is extended to exploration of the
show’s themes before and after attending the production, the impact is even greater. The lesson plans in the Pre- and Post-Show
Workshops section offers audiences the opportunity to go deeper by exploring the themes of the show and how they connect
to their lives. Arrange pre- and post-show workshops at the school or at your theatre and facilitate with attending audiences;
alternatively, if you’re performing the show at a high school, offer the lesson plans to your fellow teachers or facilitate with
attending students. Feel free to modify the lessons to suit your needs.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Staging Shakespeare in Love will provide your high school cast and crew with a valuable education in the art of theatre-making.
Additionally, this show provides rich opportunities for cross-curricular investigation and can be a springboard for learning beyond
rehearsal. The Curriculum Connections section offers lesson plans that use arts integration techniques that allow students to
explore varied subjects through an engaging and accessible forum. Share these lesson plans and any accompanying worksheets
with English, social studies, and music teachers, or use them to enrich your exploration of the play in rehearsals. Feel free to
modify the lessons to suit your needs.

IN-THEATRE ENGAGEMENT: FOR ALL AUDIENCES

Engagement with the show doesn’t have to begin and end with the performance. The In-Theatre Engagement section offers
suggestions for connecting audiences and your community to the world of Shakespeare in Love and to your theatre.

PERFORMANCE GUIDE: FOR ALL AUDIENCES

Providing your audiences with a tool to explore the show’s themes and background allows them to engage deeply with the
material on their own time. Consider creating a Study Guide or Performance Guide to share with your audience before they
attend your show. You are welcome to pull excerpts from the Screen to Stage and Dramaturgy sections of this guide as well as the
Pre- and Post-show Workshops. If you do, please be sure not to alter the content of these sections and to credit Disney Theatrical
Productions in your publication.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 51

TALKBACKS
FORMAT CONSIDERATIONS
The most traditional form of a talkback is a simple question-and-answer session with the cast and/or creative team, offered to
specific groups attending the show or to the audience at large. This format of a talkback is always an engaging and exciting
opportunity for audiences to enjoy an insider look into your production. Some theatres also offer thematic talkbacks, sometimes
with local experts or scholars, that are designed to unpack the play’s themes or historical context with the audience. Tips and tools
for both formats are provided below, along with specific discussion starter ideas.

BEST PRACTICES
• The talkback facilitator should be well-versed in the production’s history and dramaturgical information.
• At the end of the show the facilitator should invite the group or audience to move to the front of the house so that the
cast or talkback attendees can see and hear the participants.
• Engage the group in a discussion while you await the cast or creative team. Ask questions such as: What did you
like about the show? What did you notice? What surprised you? This could also be a moment to share any relevant
dramaturgical information.
• When the cast or other talkback attendees arrive, invite them to introduce themselves and the role they played in the
production. Tailor the conversation to the talkback participants; if the guest is the director or the designer of the show,
prompt questions about vision and process.
• When facilitating questions from the audience, consider the following:
• Use audience members’ clothing to identify them when you call on them rather than making assumptions about
gender, etc.
• Repeat questions aloud and direct the question to a specific cast member if needed.
• Catch any awkward questions to the cast by answering them generically or rephrasing the question.

DISCUSSION STARTERS
When facilitating a discussion that focuses on the themes of the show, ease into the discussion (see examples below) before
posing more challenging questions. If the discussion becomes unproductive or unnecessarily charged, bring the discussion back
to the world of the play and its inhabitants.

• Conduct a silent poll: Invite the audience to raise their hand if they think Shakespeare in Love is a comedy. Raise their
hand if they think this is a tragedy. Ask them to discuss with a neighbor the reasons why they think it is a comedy or a
tragedy.
• Ask a targeted question: Invite them to consider if the representation of Shakespeare in this show matches or deviates
from the Shakespeare they expected based on their prior knowledge of the author.
• Once the audience is warmed up and engaged, continue on with additional questions such as:
• Which relationships in the play were real and which were fictional? Why might the authors create fictional
characters and relationships in a play where there are real historical figures?
• Who is the hero of this story? Why? What examples of censorship of art did you see? Where do we see this today?
• The Queen oversees a wager on what she calls “a very worthy question”: “Can a play show us the very truth and
nature of love?” How would you respond to the Queen’s question?
• In the Elizabethan era women were forbidden by law to perform onstage. Would this production have resonated
with you any differently if all of the characters were played by performers of the same gender? How so?

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 52

PRE-SHOW WORKSHOP
TO WRITE OR NOT TO WRITE?

Use this lesson to: prepare audiences to see Shakespeare in Love and explore the theatrical devices employed in the play.

Objectives: Participants will… Materials:

• learn theatre vocabulary and concepts; • “The Five W’s of Writing” activity sheet
• analyze the blending of fact and fiction through (see p. 55 of this handbook)
the story-within-a-story (meta) plot device;
Time: 45 minutes
• explore how fictional storytelling can be driven
by real-life experience;
• work in groups to make artistic choices and
connect to the career of a playwright.

Introduction: (1 minute)
Shakespeare in Love is a play about the playwright William Shakespeare writing a play. This type of storytelling is considered
"meta" and is an excellent tool for incorporating historical figures into fictional stories. Today, we’ll learn about theatre and William
Shakespeare and then step into role as playwrights to imagine our own plays featuring historical figures.

Warm-Up: (9 minutes)
1. Invite participants into a standing circle and invite them to respond to the below prompts by finding a new spot in the
circle if they agree. Feel free to add prompts of your own.
• Find a new place in the circle if you know who William Shakespeare is.
• Find a new place in the circle if you enjoy writing.
• Find a new place in the circle if you enjoy plays.
2. After completing the diagnostic, share that in the theatre, the word “cue” means a signal for what happens next.
3. Share with participants that you are going to call out a phrase. When they hear your voice, that is their cue to show you
with their bodies their interpretation of the phrase.
4. Ask participants to move around the open space silently and listen for your cues.
5. Call out the following cues by saying “show me...”: comedy, tragedy, the Queen, a musician, a playwright. Side coach
participants to incorporate facial expression, posture, body language, and levels.
6. Continue this activity, experimenting with paired participants or small groups showing cues by adjusting the calls such
as, “In a group of four, show me the Queen.”
7. Briefly reflect on the cues explored, asking participants how prior knowledge of the phrases inspired their artistic choices.

Hook: (5 minutes)
1. Facilitate a brief discussion about what participants already know about William Shakespeare.
2. Next, remind participants that Shakespeare is a character in the story of Shakespeare in Love, but how he is represented is
a blend of fact and fiction.
3. Share the following example of this blend: It is a fact that Shakespeare is a playwright. It is fiction that he had writer’s
block when working on a play entitled Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter.
4. Facilitate a brief discussion about why the writers of Shakespeare in Love would decide to incorporate fact and fiction in
this story even though it features Shakespeare doing what he is known for: writing a play.
5. If it isn’t mentioned, share with participants that one reason this meta construct works is because it creatively imagines
and theatricalizes Shakespeare’s creative process, something we do not know much about.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 53

Main Activity: (25 minutes)
1. Tell participants that while writing a play, all playwrights have a lot of decisions to make. Many of these decisions center
on the concept and plot of the play, and today we are going to experiment with developing our own play concept using
“The Five W’s”: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and WHY.
2. Share with participants that they will now step into the role of playwright to theatricalize their own historical figure.
3. Divide participants into groups of four to six and distribute “The Five W’s of Writing” activity sheet.
4. Allow them time to work on the activity sheet as a group, collaborating on their different ideas for the concept of the play.
5. When the groups have finished the activity sheet, ask them to create a tableau, or frozen image, representing each "W."
6. Once the groups have had time to complete the activity sheet and create their tableaus, facilitate a group rehearsal by
using “The Five W’s” as cues for each group to practice their tableaus.
7. If time allows, encourage groups to add text or sound to their tableaus to help clarify their ideas.
8. Invite groups to share their tableaus with the rest of the participants.

Reflection: (5 minutes)
Facilitate a discussion using the following prompts:
• How did you create a blend of fact and fiction while generating your play concept?
• How do you expect William Shakespeare to be depicted in the play?
• When a new play is in development, do you think the playwright has full creative power? Who else do you think has
creative input?

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 54

THE FIVE W’S OF WRITING
As you step into the role of playwright, remember that you have to decide the WHO, WHAT, WHY, WHEN, and WHERE for your play.
Use this activity sheet to develop ideas for your concept and plot using “The Five W’s” as benchmarks for your decision-making.

WHO:
Select a historical figure you would like to theatricalize: __________________________________________________________

In the space below, brainstorm how who this person is can be represented in a metatheatrical version of their life. For example, if
you chose a songwriter, your story may be a musical about the author writing a musical.

WHAT:
Now that we know “who” your play is about, brainstorm which facts and aspects of their life you would like to incorporate into
your story. In the box below, make a list that represents everything you know about your selected historical figure.

WHY:
As a group, answer the question, “Why are we telling the story of this historical figure?” After you discuss, consider what fictional
events and characters or themes you can add to this historical character’s life to heighten the storytelling!

As a group, discuss the WHEN and the WHERE of your play.

WHEN:
When in time will your play take place? _______________________________________________________________________

WHERE:
Where in the word will your play take place? ___________________________________________________________________

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 55

POST-SHOW WORKSHOP
EPILOGUE: WRITING FROM THE WOMAN’S PERSPECTIVE

Use this lesson to: guide audience members to reflect on their experience seeing Shakespeare in Love; explore the
theatrical device of an epilogue; and practice playwriting.

Objectives: Participants will… Time: 45 minutes

• reflect on their experience seeing the play;
• work in pairs to write an epilogue for Shakespeare in Love;
• make personal connections to the show’s themes.

Introduction: (1 minute)
We all saw Shakespeare in Love and observed the show’s themes. Today, we’re going to reflect on our experience and make
connections to the characters of Viola and the Queen. Then, we will step into roles as playwrights to write the epilogue for
Shakespeare in Love.

Warm-Up: (9 minutes)
1. Invite participants to join you in a standing circle.
2. Facilitate a brief reflection on the plot of the show, using the “The Five W’s” (WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and WHY) to
guide the conversation.
3. As you discuss each of “The Five W’s,” create a full group tableau to represent that W. Encourage participants to
incorporate facial expression, body language, posture, and levels into their frozen pictures.

Hook (10 minutes)

1. As a group, generate a list of themes explored in Shakespeare in Love (e.g., writer’s block, love, gender, society and class,
censorship, etc.).
2. Shift the focus of the discussion to which characters are impacted by these themes in the story.
3. Share with participants that today, they are going to focus on these themes from the perspective of the characters of
Viola and Queen Elizabeth.
4. Facilitate a discussion using the following prompts:
• Out of our list of themes, what are the themes experienced by both Viola and Queen Elizabeth throughout the
story of Shakespeare in Love?
• What themes do they depict in contrasting ways? How?

Main Activity (20 minutes)

1. Divide participants into pairs. With their partners, prompt participants to reflect on what Viola and Queen Elizabeth may
have been feeling at the end of the play with the following questions:
• What decisions did Viola and Queen Elizabeth make at the end of the play?
• Did any of these decisions resonate with you? Why or why not?
2. Next, ask the pairs to decide who will take Viola’s perspective and who will take Queen Elizabeth’s for the following
activity.
3. Explain that many of Shakespeare’s plays have an epilogue, which is a section of a play that comes at the end and serves
as a comment or a conclusion to what has happened. Today, they will step into roles as playwrights to write an epilogue
for Shakespeare in Love.
4. Ask your participants to consider what Viola and the Queen wished they could have said to each other the last time they
met in person.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 56

 5. Prompt your students to illustrate how they felt or offer a new conclusion to the relationship of these two characters
using one of the following formats:
• Individual monologues (Viola and the Queen each writing a letter to each other)
• A scene that skips into the future where Viola and the Queen meet again
6. Allow participants at least ten minutes to write their epilogues.
7. Invite pairs to read their epilogues aloud.

Reflection (5 minutes)
Facilitate a discussion using the following prompts:
• How did the epilogues change your understanding of the characters? Of the play?
• When do you think epilogues are useful in plays or books?

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 57

THE PIRATE COMEDY
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS: CREATIVE WRITING

Use this lesson to: explore the difference between the genres of tragedy and comedy by reimagining Romeo and Juliet.

Objectives: Participants will… Time: 45 minutes

• identify the differences between comedy and tragedy;
• review the plot of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet;
• work in pairs to creatively write a plot summary for a new play
inspired by Romeo and Juliet.

Introduction (1 minute)
In Shakespeare in Love, William Shakespeare is suffering from writer’s block as he tries to write the play Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s
Daughter, a pirate comedy. With the help of his friend and fellow writer Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare is inspired to transform
the story into the well-known tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Today, we are going to step into role as Shakespeare and Marlowe and
write the untold story of Romeo and Ethel.

Warm-Up (9 minutes)
1. Gather your students into a standing circle, and inform them that as a group they are going to tell a story about a pirate.
2. Around the circle assign students to either Group A or Group B. No student should be standing next to someone from
their group.
3. Share with your students that you will begin the story. Moving around the circle, each person will contribute one
sentence to the story. The twist in this activity is that students in Group A must begin their sentence with “fortunately,”
and Group B must begin with “unfortunately.”
4. Begin the story with a prompt such as, “One night, a young woman heard a group of pirates chanting ‘to be or not to be’
from their ship.”
5. Continue the story as a class, going around the circle as many times as you would like until everyone has contributed to
the plot and you feel the story has come to an end.
Teacher Tip: The prompts “fortunately “and “unfortunately” could encourage a lot of exciting creativity,
so consider establishing some classroom management prompts to use if the laughter begins to distract from
the storytelling.
6. After you have finished the story, define with your students the terms “tragedy” and “comedy,” and share that the
Shakespeare is known for writing both tragedies and comedies. Ensure that students understand that in Shakespearian
tragedies, a moral flaw within a character leads to a tragic ending. In Shakespearian comedies, humor is often used and
the ending is happy. If your students are familiar with Shakespeare’s works, ask them to suggest plays that fall into both
genres.
7. Reflect on your students’ story by using the following prompts:
• Was the story we wrote together a tragedy or a comedy?
• What was it like to collaborate during the writing process? What plot twists surprised you the most? Which did
you see coming?

Hook (10 minutes)

1. Facilitate a plot review of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. Elicit suggestions from your students with the
following prompts:
• Who are the two main families in Romeo and Juliet? Why don’t they get along?
• How do Romeo and Juliet fall in love?
• What characters do Romeo and Juliet turn to for help in desperation? How do these characters help or hinder?
• How does the story end?

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 58

 2. Once the students are refamiliarized with the story, ask them to consider what aspects of Romeo and Juliet make this story
a tragedy. Encourage them to share their ideas aloud.
3. Next, challenge your class to think of adjectives and personality traits that would make the characters of Romeo and Juliet
more comedic. Invite them to share their ideas aloud.

Main Activity (20 minutes)

1. Share with your class that they are now going to take the plot of Romeo and Juliet and reimagine it to be the storyline for
a comedic play titled Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter. Just as the fictional Shakespeare and Marlowe did their best
work together, they will work in pairs to generate the story.
2. Prompt all students who were assigned to Group A during the warm-up to pair up with a student who was assigned to
Group B.
3. Allow the pairs time to write a plot summary for their version of Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter. Side coach them
as they write, encouraging them to call back to the fun plot twists during the “fortunately, unfortunately” exercise and to
imagine how they can appropriately tweak some of the events in Romeo and Juliet to be funny.
4. Once the pairs complete writing their plot summary, instruct them to create a pitch for their version of Romeo and Ethel
the Pirate’s Daughter.

Reflection & Share (5 minutes)

Invite volunteers to present their Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter pitch for the class. After each pitch, reflect on the funniest

��ti�na� �x�ensio�
moments.

Consider extending the writing portion of this activity by inviting each pair to write full scenes from their version
of Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 59

THE STRUCTURE OF A SONNET
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS: SONNETS

Use this lesson to: understand how to write a sonnet. Materials:

• Shakespeare in Love synopsis (see pp. 5-6 of this
Objectives: Participants will…
handbook)
• understand the structure of a sonnet (particularly in
• Paper and pen
the style of Shakespeare).
• William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18” (Find the
• explore how Shakespeare approached a sonnet’s
sonnet on the internet and then scribe or project
stanzas to highlight its themes and subject.
the sonnet for all of the students to reference.)
• practice writing their own sonnets from the
• “Shakespearean Sonnets” activity sheet (see
perspective of a character in Shakespeare in Love.
pp. 61-62 of this handbook)
Time: 45 minutes

Introduction: (1 minute)
The playwright William Shakespeare is known for writing some of the most famous sonnets in history. In this lesson, we will learn the
structure of a Shakespearean sonnet and practice writing our own from the perspective of characters in Shakespeare in Love.

Warm-up: (12 minutes)

1. Write down each of the “Shakespeare Sonnet Must-Haves” below on slips of paper:
• Must be 14 lines that are broken down into three quatrains and one couplet (four stanzas)
• Three quatrains = set of four lines
• One couplet = two lines that rhyme
• Must follow the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
• Must be about love (or related subjects like envy, heartbreak, friendship, family, passions, favorite things)
• Must be in iambic pentameter (10 syllables per line)
2. Divide your class into four or eight groups, and give each group one of the must-haves.
3. Prompt each group to take five minutes to create a tableau, catchy tagline, or short scene that will teach their classmates about
their assigned sonnet must-have.
4. Invite each group to present their sonnet must-have. After each aspect of a sonnet is presented, check in with your students to
see if they need any clarifications on the vocabulary words or concepts presented in the sonnet must-have.

Hook: (10 minutes)

1. Next, invite students to take a seat and distribute the “Shakespearean Sonnets” activity sheet.
2. Allow your students a few minutes to read the information on the stanzas of the sonnet.
3. Call your students’ attention to Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18” and facilitate a discussion encouraging them to make connections
between how the stanzas break down and how that manifests within Shakespeare’s famous sonnet on their activity sheet.

Main Activity: (15 minutes)

1. Next, distribute copies of the synopsis of Shakespeare in Love to each student and allow them time to familiarize themselves
with the story.
2. After they have finished reading, prompt each student to select a character from Shakespeare in Love. Let them know they
will write the sonnet from this character’s point of view, and they should consider what the given circumstance is or who this
character is speaking to throughout the sonnet.
3. Once they have selected the speaker and audience for their sonnet, instruct your students to draft their sonnet on the
Shakespearean Sonnet activity sheets.
4. If time allows, encourage student volunteers to share their sonnets aloud for feedback.

Reflection: (5 minutes)
Facilitate a class discussion using the following prompts:
• What inspired the sonnet you wrote?
• Was the structure of the sonnet and its stanzas helpful in your writing, or did they make it more difficult?

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 60

SHAKESPEAREAN SONNETS
SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET MUST-HAVES!
A sonnet in the style of Shakespeare:
• Must be 14 lines that are broken down into three quatrains and one couplet (four stanzas)
• Three quatrains = set of four lines
• One couplet = two lines that rhyme
• Must follow the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
• Must be about love (or related subjects like envy, heartbreak, friendship, family, passions, favorite things)
• Must be in iambic pentameter (10 syllables per line)

In a sonnet, the speaker has 14 lines to share with the listener or reader how they feel and what they are going to do about it. Read
the breakdown of the stanzas below to see how Shakespeare leverages this structure to dramatically tell his story.

STANZA ONE
Rhyme scheme: ABAB
This stanza should introduce the SPEAKER and AUDIENCE, illuminate the CIRCUMSTANCE, and make the SUBJECT of the poem
clear.

STANZAS TWO & THREE

Rhyme schemes: CDCD & EFEF
These stanzas should develop the TONE of the poem. Consider how the speaker feels about the given circumstances. Use
figurative language such as metaphors, similes, and personification to further the story.

STANZA FOUR
Rhyme scheme: GG
This stanza should convey the PURPOSE of the sonnet. It should bring the poem to a sense of resolution, though it doesn’t
necessarily have to be a happy ending!

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 61

WRITE YOUR OWN SONNET
Directions
Select a character in Shakespeare in Love and write a sonnet from their perspective during a specific moment in the show. Call back
to the list of sonnet must-haves and the breakdown of a sonnet’s stanzas, and write your sonnet in the space below.

Title ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

STANZA ONE
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ B

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ B

STANZA TWO
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ C

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ D

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ C

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ D

STANZA THREE
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ E

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ F

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ E

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ F

STANZA FOUR
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ G

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ G

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 62

CENSORSHIP, ART & THE ELIZABETHAN ERA
SOCIAL STUDIES: CENSORSHIP AND THE GOVERNMENT

Use this lesson to: creatively engage students with the concept of censorship and the arts.

Objectives: Participants will… Materials:

• learn about how art was censored in the • Copies of the “Elizabethan Theatre,” “Attending the
Elizabethan era; Theatre,” and “Reputation of the Theatre” sections
• develop opinions on government censorship from the Production Handbook (see pp. 11-14)
of the arts;
Time: 45 minutes
• work in teams and participate in a debate.

Introduction: (1 minute)
During the Elizabethan era, theatre grew in popularity while simultaneously the nobility worried about its influence on society.
Queen Elizabeth and her inner circle sometimes censored artistic works. Edmund Tilney was one of the members of this inner
circle, and as Master of the Revels, he often was the one censoring theatre. In this lesson, we will explore the reasoning and the
execution of censorship in the arts during the Elizabethan era.

Warm-Up & Hook: (14 minutes)

1. Facilitate a brief discussion with your students with the following question: What does it mean to be free artistically?
2. Next, prompt each student to write down two or three reasons why they think artistic freedom is important.
3. Once they have developed some reasoning, share with students that they will now work together to advocate for the
importance of artistic freedom.
4. Invite five volunteers to the front of the classroom and let them know that together they will develop a cohesive
argument in favor of artistic freedom. Share with your class the following rules:
• One person can speak at a time. Once you have spoken you cannot add another idea to the debate.
• If you are tapped on the shoulder you must immediately pause talking, and someone on your team must pick up
where you left off.
• What you share during your moment to debate should complement what has already been said by your group
members. The goal is to present a cohesive argument in favor of artistic freedom after the five turns.
5. Repeat this activity with numerous groups of five, encouraging students to begin with different reasons than the ones
that have been heard already.
6. Reflect on this activity by asking your students the following question: Why would a person or the government be against
artistic freedom?

Main Activity: (25 minutes)

1. Share with your students that they are now going to read historical background on Elizabethan theatre and then debate
on the issue of censorship from one of the following perspectives:
• The Queen’s Opinion: Theatre, though entertaining, could be detrimental to society and morality and therefore
should be censored.
• The Playwright’s Perspective: Theatre contributes so much to society that it should not be censored.
2. Divide your classroom in half, assigning The Queen’s Opinion to one half of the students and The Playwright’s Perspective
to the other half.
3. Next, distribute copies of the “Elizabethan Theatre,” “Attending the Theatre,” and “Reputation of the Theatre” to each
student. Ask your students to silently read these sections and circle or underline pieces of information that will contribute
to their argument or pieces of information that they would like to rebut in their argument.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 63

 4. After they have learned more about their topic, divide the two debate groups into smaller groups and allow them time to
further develop their arguments. Share with them some of these strategies that make a strong debate:
• identify your claim and your main points;
• use evidence to back-up your arguments;
• consider the counter-arguments;
• craft a clear conclusion.
5. Allow each group 10 minutes to develop their arguments. If you have the resources available, consider allowing students
to perform further research online or in the library.
6. Once the teams have prepared, divide the classroom in half by point of view and determine where in the room the
“podiums” are. Ask students to line up. The order in which they stand will be the order in which they contribute to the
debate.
7. Step into role as the debate moderator and review the structure of the debate below with your class.
• The next debater in line can tag in after the current speaker has had at least one minute to make their point.
• If a speaker needs support, they can return to the back of the line and the next person on their team can begin
defending their perspective.
• Students on the sidelines will be able to offer rebuttal questions at the discretion of the moderator.
• Students toward the end of the line will be responsible for the closing arguments, so they must pay attention to
the points their classmates have made along the way!
8. Begin by inviting two volunteers to kick off the debate. Side coach your students as the activity goes on, keeping them
engaged by soliciting questions or allowing notetaking.

Reflection: (5 minutes)
Facilitate a group discussion using the following prompts:
• In our world today, should artists should be allowed to create any way they see fit, or are there standards of morality that
should be considered?
• What are the platforms for constructive debate in our world today? What platforms are not as constructive?

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 64

THE ART OF SONG
MUSIC: MUSICAL STORYTELLING

Use this lesson to: analyze how music and lyrics were utilized in Elizabethan-era theatre to enhance storytelling. This lesson
was created based on the script of the Acting Edition of Shakespeare in Love, which requires use of the entire score.

Objectives: Participants will… Time: 45 minutes

• learn how William Shakespeare utilized music in his plays to further
the story;
• practice writing lyrics and composing short melodies;
• work together in small groups to make connections between the
lyrics of “O Mistress Mine” and the scenes in which the song appears
in the Acting Edition of Shakespeare in Love.

Introduction: (1 minute)
In Shakespeare in Love, composer Paddy Cuneen used four different kinds of music to support the storytelling: traditional
English folk music, courtly pavane, vocal music, and filmic music. This utilization of music complements William Shakespeare’s
incorporation of vocal music in his plays to evoke mood and to comment on the plots and themes of his stories. Shakespeare used
vocal music in his storytelling so often that many of the lyrics he wrote are now memorialized in English songs.

In this lesson we will learn more about the genre of “art song” through the song “O Mistress Mine,” and also analyze how it
contributes to the story of Shakespeare in Love.

Warm-Up: (9 minutes)
1. Invite students to stand in a circle in an open space.
2. Next, prompt students to think of a short line that depicts how they feel about their day so far. Encourage them to keep it
under 10 words and let them know that they will be asked to share their line with the class.
3. Share with your students that their line is now a lyric and they need to assign it a rhythm. Have them consider what
rhythms speak to the mood or story they are trying to get across (e.g., if they have felt sleepy, maybe their rhythm is long
and slow; if they are happy about an A on a test, maybe their rhythm is more energized and staccato).
4. After students have added their rhythm, encourage them to layer on pitches to their line. Allow students a minute to
practice their newly composed music about their day.
5. When your students are ready, begin a steady beat using body percussion or an instrument to establish a consistent
meter over which all the students will share their lyrics.
6. One at a time, ask each student to share until everyone has shared their composition.

Hook: (10 minutes)

1. Remind students that William Shakespeare also utilized music and lyrics to help establish the mood of his characters and/
or to comment on the action of his plays.
2. Introduce the song “O Mistress Mine” to your class, letting them know the following facts:
• This song appears in Shakespeare in Love and also in William Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night.
• In the Elizabethan era, the word “mistress” can be defined as a woman who is loved and courted by a man or a
woman who has power and authority in a setting.
• An “art song” is a song written to be sung in recital, typically with piano accompaniment and often set to a poem.
In addition to “O Mistress Mine,” many of Shakespeare’s sonnets have also been used as the text for art songs.
• There are no recordings of Shakespeare’s original music, so the composition heard in Shakespeare in Love is
Paddy Cuneen’s.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 65

 3. Ask for a volunteer (or multiple volunteers) to read aloud the lyrics of “O Mistress Mine.”
4. Reflect with your class on their first impressions of the song using the following prompts:
• Based on the lyrics, what do you think or know about the speaker?
• Based on the lyrics, what do you think or know about the subject of the song?
• What do you think is the mood of the lyrics?

Main Activity: (20 minutes)

1. Share with your students that in Shakespeare in Love, “O Mistress Mine” appears in various scenes. Divide your students
into five groups and give each group a plot point.
Teacher Tip: Print or write the scene descriptions below to distribute to each group.
• Act 1, Scene 5: Musicians accompany Viola as she practices a monologue from Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen
of Verona, which she just saw in performance. She is reflecting on the show and advocating for women to be
allowed to perform onstage.
• Act 1, Scene 11: The musicians sing the second half of the song right before Viola’s father and Wessex determine
that she is a good candidate for Wessex to marry. Simultaneously, Shakespeare and Marlowe see Viola for the first
time and Shakespeare is enchanted by her.
• Act 1, Scene 17: The musicians sing the second half of the song as the scene opens in Viola’s bedroom. Directly
before this scene, Viola, still disguised as Thomas Kent, kisses Shakespeare, and then reveals that she is a woman;
they share another a kiss and declare their love.
• Act 2, Scene 1: The Nurse sings the opening lines to Viola as she prepares her to meet her betrothed, Wessex,
and be presented to the Queen for Her Majesty’s approval. Viola is not excited for this trip, and Wessex and
Shakespeare are both upset with Viola for different reasons.
• Act 2, Scene 10: The attendees of Viola and Wessex’s wedding assemble and sing the song in its entirety. They
wave goodbye to the couple as their boat moves away from the dock, leaving behind Shakespeare and his
players.
2. Prompt each group to read their assigned scene summary.
3. Next, instruct students to analyze how the song and their assigned scene connect. Side coach them to consider who is
singing and what happens right before and after it is sung.
4. After allowing a few minutes for discussion, instruct students to condense their thoughts into two sentences of lyrics.
Consider limiting each sentence to nine syllables to match the lines in “O Mistress Mine.”
5. Next, as a group, ask your students to determine the mood of this song in their scene. Once they have decided on a
mood, prompt them to develop a rhythm for their lyrics that complements their agreed upon mood.
6. Lastly, ask students to compose a melody for their new lyrics that complements their interpretation of how the song
contributes to the scene and how it evokes mood.
7. After a brief rehearsal, invite your students back into the circle, return to steady the beat from the warm-up, and ask each
group to share their two lyrics in the order of their scenes.

Reflection: (5 minutes)
Facilitate a group reflection using the following prompts:
• Now that we know how this song is utilized throughout Shakespeare in Love, how did the context of the story influence
how you interpreted the lyrics?
• How did the context of the lyrics influence how you interpreted what was happening in the story?
• Did the mood of “O Mistress Mine” change based on who was singing it and when?
• Knowing that “O Mistress Mine” is also a song used in Twelfth Night and that William Shakespeare utilizes music to
comment on, or further develop, the plot of his stories, what assumptions can we make about Twelfth Night’s plot?

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 66

IN-THEATRE ENGAGEMENT
Invite audience members to engage deeply with the story of Shakespeare in Love by transforming your lobby into an informational
and interactive environment. For more information on all topics and individuals listed below, refer to pp. 15-19 of this handbook’s
Dramaturgy chapter.

WHO’S WHO?
Create an exhibition that profiles the historical figures who exist in Shakespeare in Love (William Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth I,
Christopher Marlowe, Philip Henslowe, Richard Burbage, Edward Alleyn, Edmund Tilney) to help audiences make connections
between the real people and their characters onstage.

A LOOK BACK IN TIME

The events in Shakespeare in Love are fictional but the setting and time period are real. Create a timeline to visually represent the
key dates that are important to the characters and the events that occur in the play.

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE!

Invite your audience members to capture their excitement with a Shakespeare in Love-themed photo booth. Provide some props or
costumes such as a ruff or wigs and popular lines from the plays of William Shakespeare written on chalkboards, and instruct your
participants to strike a dramatic pose.

THEATRE IN THE ELIZABETHAN ERA

Designate a section of your lobby to highlight photographs and information about the historic London theatres and Queen’s
residencies featured in the show: the Rose, the Curtain, Whitehall Palace, and Greenwich Palace. Provide guiding questions that
prompt audience members to compare the facilities of those theatres with the theatre they are currently in.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 67

 RESOURCES

B elow is a list of resources to get you and your cast started in exploring the world of Shakespeare in Love. Consider encouraging
your actors and designers to do further research on the topics they are most interested in or that best relate to their characters
or roles in the production. Following this list, you’ll find a script glossary, a glossary of Shakespearean references, and all of the
activity sheets that correlate with the Audience and Student Engagement chapter of this handbook.

ACCENTS
When learning an accent, the internet provides a wealth of material. How-to videos for just about any accent can be found online.
It is also extremely useful when learning an accent to stay in character during the length of rehearsal. Listed below are some
helpful websites.

British Library Sound Archive: Contains audio clips and oral histories from 11 different archives. Scroll down to “View by” for
access to hundreds of recordings sorted by country, date, or as clickable options on a sound map.

IDEA (International Dialects of English Archive): Created by a dialect coach in 1997, this website contains dozens of samples of
dialects from all over the globe.

Original Pronunciation: This website is a comprehensive resource on Shakespearean original pronunciation, created by David
Crystal, the author of The Oxford Dictionary of Original Shakespearean Pronunciation.

“The Original Pronunciation (OP) of Shakespeare’s English”: A resource by Paul Meier, with embedded sound files, for learning
Shakespearean original pronunciation.

ELIZABETHAN THEATRE

“Admiral’s Men”: Encyclopedia Britannica’s article on Philip Henslowe and Edward Alleyn’s theatre company, the Admiral’s Men.

“Companies of Players”: A resource, provided by the British Library, that grants an overview of the main theatre companies
during Shakespeare’s time, including the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and the Admiral’s Men.

Elizabethan Drama: An anthology of scholarly essays, edited by Harold Bloom and published in 2004 by Chelsea House
Publishers, on a variety of topics relating to Elizabethan theatre, such as playwrights, companies, content, and form.

“The Elizabethan Dramatic Companies”: Alwin Thaler’s article, published in 1920 in PMLA, traces the history of the various
Elizabethan theatre companies.

“Elizabethan Theatre”: A primer provided by the Victoria and Albert Museum on Elizabethan theatre, covering topics such as
acting companies, theatres, and playwrights.

“Factsheets”: A page on the Shakespeare’s Globe website linking to a number of factsheets providing brief overviews of topics
related to Shakespeare. Of particular relevance are “William Shakespeare,” “Playhouses,” “Audiences,” “Writing Plays,” “Actors,” and
“Costumes & Cosmetics,” all published in 2013.

“Lord Chamberlain’s Men”: Encyclopedia Britannica’s article on Shakespeare’s theatre company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 68

The Rose Playhouse: The official website for The Rose Theatre Trust, which saved and continues to preserve the archeology of the
original theatre erected in 1587 and hosts events and performances in the space throughout the year.

The Rose Theatre: Encyclopedia Britannica’s article on the Rose Theatre.

Shakespeare’s Globe: The official website for Shakespeare’s Globe, a replica theatre inspired by the original playhouse built in
1599, offers historical information about the building and through a blog explores their process of creating Elizabethan theatre for
contemporary audiences.

“Shakespeare’s Playhouses”: This article by Eric Rasmussen and Ian DeJong, written in 2016 for the British Library, explores the
history of Renaissance playhouses.

LIFE IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND

“Daily Life in the Elizabethan Era”: Elizabethan World Reference Library’s encyclopedia article on daily life in the Elizabethan era
across the class hierarchy, published in 2007 by Gale.

Elizabeth’s London: Everyday Life in Elizabethan London: This book by Liza Picard, originally published in 2003 by Weidenfeld &
Nicolson, provides a close look at daily life in the Elizabethan era.

English Society: 1580-1680: Keith Wrightson’s book, published in its second edition in 2003 by Routledge, examines society and
social change during the Elizabethan era.

“Marriage and Courtship”: Eric Rasmussen’s 2016 article for the British Library about marriage and courtship in the Elizabethan
era.

“The Social Structure in Elizabethan England”: This 2016 article by Liza Picard, written for the British Library, explores the
different levels of the social hierarchy in Elizabethan England.

PERFORMING SHAKESPEARE
“How to Act Shakespeare”: A comprehensive set of tips – covering topics such as interpretation, verse, and poetic devices – on
how to perform Shakespeare’s plays, written by Andrew Hearle in 2012 for StageMilk.

Playing Shakespeare: Led by the RSC's John Barton, the series features nine master classes on Shakespearean performance with
21 of Britain's finest actors. First aired on PBS in the mid-1980s, the series includes a 20-page viewer's guide and other extras that
take the educational experience beyond the screen.

“Speaking in Shakespearean Verse”: This 2017 article by Duncan Fewins, published by ThoughtCo., is a beginner’s guide to
performing Shakespearean verse, complete with exercises.

QUEEN ELIZABETH I AND HER COURT

Houses of Power: The Places that Shaped the Tudor World: Simon Thurley’s 2017 book, published by Bantam Press, delves into
the most important places in Tudor England, including the palaces at Whitehall and Greenwich.

“The Elizabethan Court”: Elizabethan World Reference Library’s encyclopedia article on the makeup and lifestyle of the
Elizabethan court, published in 2007 by Thomson Gale.

The Life of Elizabeth I: Alison Weir’s biography of Queen Elizabeth I, originally published in 1998 by Ballantine Books, covers Her
Majesty’s life in depth focusing on matters both political and social.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 69

“Whitehall Palace Saw It All. Then This Royal Residence Went Up in Flames.”: Allison McNearney’s 2018 article in The Daily
Beast provides a brief chronicle of the history of Whitehall Palace from 1245 through its destruction in 1698.

RENAISSANCE DANCE
"Renaissance Dance": An overview of the topic created for the Library of Congress with information on the major dance
instruction manuals and styles of the time period.

The Shakespeare and Dance Project: A collection of essays and video of the styles of historical dance that may have been used in
Shakespeare’s plays.

RENAISSANCE MUSIC
Early Music America: The official website of the North American community of both professional and amateur musicians and
academics with specialties in early music, featuring a written publication as well as online forums and instrument exchanges.

1000 Years of Classical Music: Volume 4, The Music of the English Renaissance: A compilation of songs written during the
English Renaissance.

“Music in the Renaissance”: This 2002 series of essays by Rebecca Arkenberg accompanies images curated by the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, showcasing their collection of musical instruments.

SHAKESPEARE
“About Shakespeare”: A collection of resources from BBC’s Bitesize collection, providing a quick overview of topics related to
Shakespeare’s life and Elizabethan theatre.

“Chronology of Shakespeare’s Plays”: Encyclopedia Britannica’s chronology of Shakespeare plays, with links to encyclopedia
articles on each play.

Folger Shakespeare Library Editions of Shakespeare’s Plays: Edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine and published by
Simon & Schuster, The Folger Shakespeare Library editions of Shakespeare’s plays feature secondary texts as well as explanatory
notes alongside the text, providing an accessible introduction to Shakespeare’s works, including those referenced in Shakespeare
in Love such as Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Titus Andronicus, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works: The second edition of a complete collection of Shakespeare’s works, edited by
Stanley Wells, Gary Taylor, John Jowett, and William Montgomery and published in 2005 by Oxford University Press, featuring all of
Shakespeare’s known plays and poems as well as additional secondary material.

“Shakespeare”: This reference section of the website of the Folger Shakespeare Library – a prominent Shakespearean research
institution – links to pages on topics such as Shakespeare’s life, Shakespeare’s work, and Elizabethan theatre.

Shakespeare and Gender in Practice: While Terri Power’s book, published by Red Globe Press in 2015, explores contemporary
trends in staging cross-gender performances of Shakespeare, it also offers some historical information on how roles were
portrayed in the Elizabethan era.

“Shakespeare and Gender: The ‘Woman’s Part’”: Clare McManus’s 2016 article for the British Library explores gender in the
history of Shakespearean performance.

“Shakespedia”: A collection of resources on Shakespeare, his work, and his birthplace provided by the Shakespeare Birthplace
Trust.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 70

William Shakespeare: This biography of Shakespeare by Peter Holland, published in 2007 by Oxford University Press as part of
their Very Important People series, provides a fact-based look at Shakespeare’s life, avoiding the creative embellishments of other
biographies.

SHAKESPEARE’S CONTEMPORARIES
“Brief Biographies of Philip Henslowe and Edward Alleyn”: An article containing short biographies of Edward Alleyn and Philip
Henslowe, written by S.P. Cerasano for the Henslowe-Alleyn Digitisation Project.

Christopher Marlowe: The Complete Plays: This anthology, edited by Frank Romany and Robert Lindsey and published in 2003
by Penguin Classics, features supporting texts accompanying each of Christopher Marlowe’s plays, including Doctor Faustus and
Tamburlaine the Great, parts 1 and 2.

The Marlowe Society: A collection of biographical resources on Christopher Marlowe provided by The Marlowe Society.

“Richard Burbage”: An Encyclopedia Britannica article on Richard Burbage.

“Who Was John Webster?”: A biographical article on John Webster, published by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE ON STAGE AND SCREEN

“And the Academy Award Goes To… Shakespeare in Love”: BBC Radio’s 2009 oral history of Shakespeare in Love features
interviews with a number of key players involved in the film.

“Avon Calling”: Gary Dretzka’s 1998 Chicago Tribune article profiles screenwriter Marc Norman and chronicles his involvement
with the film.

“Critic’s Notebook: Tom Stoppard in Love, with Shakespeare”: Mel Gussow’s 1999 exploration, from the New York Times, of Tom
Stoppard’s relationship with Shakespeare.

“Lee Hall Compares Translating Shakespeare in Love From the Screen to the Stage to Doing an Enormous Suduko”
Playwright Lee Hall’s reflections, as reprinted by Jim Hill in the Huffington Post in 2014, on adapting Shakespeare in Love for the
stage.

“Most Seen on Stage? Shakespeare the Character, Not the Playwright”: This 2017 New York Times article by Roslyn Sulcas
examines the most produced plays in the U.S. during the 2017-2018 season, with Shakespeare in Love topping the list.

“Shakespeare in Love Makes Stage Debut in London”: Patrick Healy’s 2014 New York Times article written in advance of
Shakespeare in Love’s West End debut.

“The Muse of Shakespeare Imagined as a Blonde”: A 1998 New York Times feature by Sarah Lyall, written in anticipation of the
film’s release.

“Shakespeare in Love”: A study guide, provided by The Film Space, to accompany the Shakespeare in Love film.

“Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman: Shakespeare in Love”: A 1999 episode of KCRW’s Bookworm features interviews with
screenwriters Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard.

STAGE COMBAT
Society of American Fight Directors: The Society of American Fight Directors is an internationally recognized organization
dedicated to promoting safety and excellence in the craft of stage combat. Contact your SAFD region representative for training
opportunities or hire one of their certified teachers to help design your combat sequences.

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 71

 STUTTERING
SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young: SAY, a national non-profit organization that empowers, educates, and supports
young people, offers “Stuttering 101,” explaining what stuttering is and offering listening tips and other trusted resources.

Stuttering Foundation of America: SFA aims to provide the best and most up-to-date information and help available for the
prevention of stuttering in young children and the most effective treatment available for teenagers and adults.

SCRIPT GLOSSARY
The glossary below includes explanations of many of the less common words and expressions found throughout the script.
The numbers in parentheticals indicate page(s) they can be found on; if page numbers differ between the Acting Edition (AE)
and the High School Edition, the first number listed indicates the High School Edition and the second, the Acting Edition (e.g.,
“apothecary" can be found on pp. 75 and 80 of the High School Edition and pp. 79 and 85 of the Acting Edition).

Agamemnon (25): The first play in Aeschylus’s Oresteia trilogy, first performed in 458 B.C. The story depicts King Agamemnon
of Argos returning home from the Trojan War to his vengeful wife, Clytemnestra, who has been plotting his murder because
Agamemnon murdered their daughter, Iphigenia.
anon (33, 35, etc.): In a short duration of time.
apothecary (75/79, 80/85, etc.): A merchant who sells medicine and drugs.
asunder (25, 45, etc.): Divided or apart.
Barabas (25, 42): A biblical character imprisoned by Pontius Pilate who was freed at the Passover feast, leaving Jesus Christ
imprisoned; also a character in Christopher Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta.
Beaumont and Fletcher (30 – AE only): Francis Beaumont (1584-1616) and John Fletcher (1579-1625), English dramatists who
co-authored many plays from 1606-1647, including A King and No King, Cupid’s Revenge, and The Noble Gentleman. Fletcher
succeeded Shakespeare as house playwright for the King’s Men (and so this reference in Shakespeare in Love is anachronistic), and
Beaumont was a student of Ben Johnson.
begot (32): Having brought about or caused.
blackamoor (23): A contemptuous word for a dark-skinned person from Africa, considered offensive today.
Burdock (20): A root plant with healing properties that is native to Europe and Asia.
calibre (42): The British spelling of “caliber;” the level of one’s ability.
caveat emptor (81 – AE only): The concept that the buyer of goods must check the quality of what they are buying prior to
purchase.
Chamberlain’s Men (12, 15, etc.): Refers to the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a theatrical playing company in Elizabethan and
Jacobean England. (See p. 12 of this handbook for more information.)
charter (14): A document issued by a sovereign or state, outlining the conditions under which a corporate body is organized, and
defining its rights and privileges; all theatre companies were issued a royal charter to perform in public.
Cheam (26/27): A suburb of London, England in the borough of Sutton.
Cheapside (25): A street in the financial district of London, England.
cockerel (62/64): A young rooster.
commiserations (77/81): Sympathy for others’ misfortunes; compassion.
coxcomb (20): A vain and conceited person.
cur (44, 51, etc.): An aggressive dog that is also mangy or in poor condition; an insult.
Curtain Theatre (14, 16, etc.): An Elizabethan Playhouse which was open from 1577-1624. (See p. 18 of this handbook for more
information.)
dowry (29, 32): In Elizabethan England, money or property given to a groom from the bride’s family upon marriage as to
compensate the groom’s financial responsibility for the bride.
dregs (42): Valueless or worthless parts of something.
dumb show (15, 85/90 ): Gestures without speech; a story told in pantomime, which was a common practice in early English drama.

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endart (96/101): An obsolete term meaning to throw or shoot like a dart.
extemporise (36): The British spelling of “extemporize;” to speak without preparation.
Faustus (22, 24, etc.): A character from Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus , thought to be performed several times by the
Admiral’s Men between 1594-1597; the title role was performed by Edward Alleyn. Several myths sprung up around the show,
including a story that actual devils once appeared onstage during a performance and some audience members were driven mad.
The play centers on a doctor who earns his degree from University of Wittenburg and follows a similar plot to that of Icarus, who
flew too close to the sun; instead, Doctor Faustus ends up selling his soul to Lucifer.
forcemeat (41): A mixture of meat and vegetable used for stuffing.
fortuitous (64/66): A fortunate accident or coincidence.
Gammer Gurton's Needle (73/76): One of the earliest comedies written in the English language; thought to have been produced
in 1533.
Greene (100/105): Robert Greene (1558-1592); English pamphleteer, best remembered for his scathing attack on Shakespeare,
Greene’s Groats-Worth of Wit, bought with a million of Repentence (1592).
groundlings (12): Elizabethan theatregoers who could not afford seats; they paid to stand in the pit, or yard, below the stage.
Greenwich Palace (49, 62/64, etc.): Also known as the Palace of Placentia; one of Queen Elizabeth’s main residences. (See p. 18 of
this handbook for more information.)
hackneyed (36): Lacking significance due to being overused or stale; unoriginal or overdone.
headlong (25): Head-first, or with the head foremost.
Henry Chettle (100/105): Elizabethan dramatist (1564-c. 1606) and rival of Shakespeare’s; frequently worked with Henslowe and
was even bailed from prison by the producer.
Hieronimo (42): The Knight Marshal of Spain, a principal character from Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy. He leverages his
position in court to write and perform in a play about his son’s death, during which he actually commits his own acts of revenge
against his son’s murderers by killing them during the performance.
hireling (13): A person employed for menial tasks.
Ilium (24): The Roman name for "Troy;" the “topless towers of Ilium” refers to Helen of Troy from Christopher Marlowe's Doctor
Faustus.
inauspicious (100/106): Unaligned with fate or not conducive to success.
incognito (68/71): Having one’s true identity concealed.
inextricably (32): Unable to be separated or freed from.
jig (34, 76/79): A folk dance.
jocund (79/83, 103 – AE only): Cheerful and merry.
kinsmen (39, 79/84): Those who are blood-related; often a male relative.
knave (33): A dishonest or deceitful individual.
Kyd (100/105): Thomas Kyd (1558-1594); considered one of the first playwrights of the Elizabethan golden age. Best known for The
Spanish Tragedy, he possibly wrote a version of Hamlet that pre-dates Shakespeare’s version.
Madeira (77/81, 78/82): Wine made in Portugal’s Madeira Islands.
malign (80/85): Harmful and evil in nature.
malkin (25): An unclean woman; typically used to describe a lower-class or uncultured woman.
mandragora (22): A plant that causes hallucinations when consumed.
Mantua (103 – AE only): A commune in northern Italy in the region of Lombardi.
Mantua’s law (88/93): The law preventing the sale of poisons in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and England; the penalty of doing so was
often death.
Master Phillips (43): Augustine Phillips (d. 1605), a member of Lord Strange’s Men, Lord Admiral’s Men, and Lord Chamberlain’s
Men; presumed to be an older member of the company and was the representative of the company called to testify against the
Earl of Essex in his trial of treason.
Master Pope (43): Thomas Pope (d. 1603), a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men; known as a comedian and acrobat.
Miss Gibson's Round (31): The dance in Romeo and Juliet, where the lovers first speak to one another.
Mistress Quickly (13): A bawdy character in Henry IV, Henry V, and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
mummer's play (9): A folk play performed by troupes of players in the street; "mummer" can also refer to a pantomime. The term
has been used since the Middle Ages and is considered low-class theatre.

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mountebank (34): A trickster or charlatan who hoaxes others out of their money.
orisons (48): Prayers.
pavane (31, 57/58): A stately dance, or the music for said dance, popular during the 16th and 17th centuries.
pence (11, 12, etc.): One-hundredth of a pound.
Philip Sidney (36): An English statesman and poet (1554-1586) whose Astrophel and Stella is considered by many to be the finest
Elizabethan sonnet cycle after Shakespeare’s sonnets.
pious (48): Religious.
pippins (57 – AE only): Any of several types of apples that have a rounded or oblate shape.
pounds (11, 12, etc.): A form of British currency.
prattling (51): To talk at length in an inconsequential, foolish manner.
prigs (106/111): Those who are self-righteously moralistic, behaving superior to others.
profane (52 – AE only): To desecrate and destroy a sacred object with disrespect.
quill (9, 105/110): A bird's feather made into a pen for writing.
recompense (39): To make amends for loss or suffering as means of compensation.
Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter (12): Pirates appear in a few of Shakespeare’s plays, including Pericles and most famously
Hamlet, and Twelfth Night includes “mistaken identities, a shipwreck… and love triumphant.” The bit with the dog is saved for The
Two Gentlemen of Verona, in which Lance, the clown, owns a dog named Crab.
sedition (81/86): The act of inciting rebellion against the establishment or government.
shillings (11, 73/76, etc.): British currency; a single shilling is one-twentieth of a pound.
Shoreditch (44): A district and parish in the borough of Hackney in London, England.
sonnet (9): A poem of 14 lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes.
sovereigns (14, 15, etc.): British coins equal in value to one pound; named for the portrait of the monarch engraved upon them.
Tamburlaine (25, 42, etc.): A fictional character based on a ruler of Central Asia, from Christopher Marlowe’s Tamburlaine the Great.
He begins as a shepherd who rises to power and attempts to conquer the world.
Thomas Dekker (75/78): Elizabethan playwright (1572-1632) who worked for Henslowe; most of his work has been lost.
Thomas Kent (26, etc.): Kent is the noble and loyal servant to King Lear, who is disguised as Caius for most of Shakespeare's play,
King Lear.
tinkers (83/88): Those who repair objects as a way of making a living.
treachery (69/72, 81/86): Betrayal of trust; violation of allegiance.
tropes (36): Common, often overused, themes or devices.
truant (68/71): Neglectful of responsibility.
tuppence (12): In British currency, a sum of two pence.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (10): The first of Shakespeare's plays where the heroine dresses as a boy; this plot device is
repeated in Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, and Cymbeline.
unbiddable (19 – AE only): Not easily controlled; disobedient.
vagrants (83/88): Wanderers without established homes.
Vivat Regina (15, 65/68, etc.): Latin for “Long live the Queen.”
Warwickshire (51): Stratford-Upon-Avon is located in south Warwickshire.
Whitehall Palace (12, 13, etc.): A place of residence for English monarchs from the 14th century until the end of the 16th century.
(See p. 18 of this handbook for more information.)
Will Kemp (51): Member of Lord Strange’s Men and Lord Chamberlain’s Men, he was Shakespeare's first and primary clown (d.
1603) and played Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry IV, parts 1 and 2; Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing; and
Peter in Romeo and Juliet. In the latter, he is referred to by name in stage directions. It is very likely he also played Lance in The Two
Gentlemen of Verona and therefore would have owned the dog, Crab (for more info, see "Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter"
entry above).
withal (54): In addition to.

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REFERENCES TO SHAKESPEARE’S WORK
The chart below tracks the reference to Shakespeare’s work, and to that of his contemporaries, found throughout the script. The
number(s) in the “Page” column indicate the page(s) on which a specific reference can be found on in the script; if page numbers
differ between the Acting Edition (AE) and the High School Edition (HSE), the first set of numbers listed indicates the High School
Edition and the second, the Acting Edition (e.g., “Shall I compare thee…” can be found on p. 61 in the High School Edition and p. 63
in the Acting Edition). Many more allusions – including references to places, names of playwrights and actors, etc. – can be found
in the Script Glossary on pp. 72-74 of this handbook.

Page(s) Quote/Allusion Source Context

9-10, Shall I compare thee to a “Sonnet 18” by William The speaker poses this question, then goes on to
36, 46, summer’s day? Shakespeare compare the beloved to a summer’s day. The speaker
61/63 and the object of Shakespeare’s sonnets are unknown,
though many believe they are autobiographical. Of
the 152 total sonnets, the first 126 – or, the "Fair Youth"
sonnets – appear to be addressed to a young man, while
the final 26 are addressed to the so-called "Dark Lady" of
Shakespearean legend.
10 More blood and thunder. Refers to The Massacre The play refers to the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of
at Paris, also known 1572. The original production took place in 1593 and was
as The Tragedy of the produced by Henslowe. Only part of the play survives, in
Guise, by Christopher probability a memorial reconstruction by the actors as it
Marlowe preserves a lot of the violence and gory humor, but very
little of the overarching themes.
10 Start with something lovely, "Sonnet 18" by William This paraphrases – and pokes fun at – the second line of
temperate, and thoroughly trite Shakespeare the sonnet ("Thou art more lovely and more temperate").
14 The other was eaten by a bear. The Winter's Tale by Reference to Shakespeare's most famous stage direction
William Shakespeare from The Winter's Tale in which Antigonus leaves the baby
(Act 3, Scene 3) Perdita and gets chased offstage (and later eaten) by a
bear. It is unknown whether Shakespeare used an actual
bear from the bear pits directly next to the theatre or an
actor in a bear costume.
16, 18, What light is light, if Silvia be The Two Gentlemen Childhood friends Valentine and Proteus are in love with
26 not seen? What joy is joy … of Verona by William the same woman, Silvia. Valentine is chatting with the
And feed upon the shadow of Shakespeare (Act 3, Duke, Silvia’s father, when the Duke accidentally reads a
perfection. Scene 4) letter containing Valentine’s confession of love for Silvia.
The Duke banishes Valentine, unaware this was all part
of Proteus’s scheme to win over Silvia. In this speech,
Valentine grapples with how to go on without Silvia.
16 Spot! Out, damn Spot! Macbeth by William After Lady Macbeth kills King Duncan, she begins to
Shakespeare (Act 5, hallucinate that she cannot wash his blood from her
Scene 1) hands.
16 Ask for me tomorrow and you Romeo and Juliet by This paraphrases Mercutio's line to Romeo after he has
shall find me in a grave pit. William Shakespeare been stabbed by Tybalt.
(Act 3, Scene 1)
18 O, STAY AND HEAR! YOUR TRUE Twelfth Night by Feste sings to entertain Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Sir
LOVE'S COMING/THAT CAN SING William Shakespeare Toby Belch.
BOTH HIGH AND LOW. (Act 2, Scene 3)

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21 With Ned Alleyn in the N/A In 1593, while the plague was ravaging London, Alleyn
provinces. joined members of the Lord Strange’s Men and the Lord
Admiral’s Men for a tour through Bristol, Shrewsbury,
Chester, and York.
22 Give me to drink mandragora. Antony and Cleopatra Cleopatra asks for the hallucinogen so that she can sleep
by William Shakspeare through the time that Marc Antony is away.
(Act 1, Scene 5)
22 have the chinks Romeo and Juliet by To have the chinks is to have coins (they make a chinking
William Shakespeare sound). Upon hearing of Juliet’s proposal, the Nurse says
(Act 1, Scene 5) that her husband will become rich on Juliet’s fortune. This
was also a slang phrase meaning someone who laughs so
hard that they are wheezing or gasping for air.
23 Marries a blackamoor and is Othello by William A reference to Othello, where the title character smothers
strangled with a hankerchief? Shakespeare his wife, Desdemona, with a pillow after he finds her
handkerchief in the possession of another.
24-25 Was this the face that launched The Tragical History After his pact with the devil, Faustus demands to have an
a thousand ships and burnt the of Doctor Faustus by affair with Helen of Troy. The phrase refers to the Trojan
topless towers of Ilium? Sweet Christopher Marlowe War, which was started because Paris fell in love with the
Helen, make me immortal with (Act 5, Scene 1) married Helen.
a kiss.
25 Go, villain, cast thee headlong Tamburlaine the Great, In an attempt to outdo his enemy, Alameda, so that he
from a rock… or else I’ll torture Part 2 by Christopher may battle a massive approaching army, Tamburlaine
thee, searing thy hateful flesh Marlowe (Act 3, Scene vows brutal ways to murder the defeated king.
with burning irons… 5)
26 Tomorrow and tomorrow and Macbeth by William Macbeth has just learned of his wife’s suicide.
tomorrow. Shakespeare (Act 5,
Scene 5)
27 Let it trip off the tounge. Hamlet by William Hamlet is advising the players of how they should
Shakespeare (Act 3, perform for the King and Queen:
Scene 2) Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounc’d it to you,
trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as many of our
players do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines.
31 WHAT IS LOVE? ‘TIS NOT Twelfth Night by William Continuation of “O Mistress Mine,” which Feste sings to Sir
HEREAFTER; Shakespeare (Act 2, Andrew and Sir Toby.
PRESENT MIRTH HATH PRESENT Scene 3)
LAUGHTER;
WHAT’S TO COME IS STILL
UNSURE:
YOUTH’S A STUFF WILL NOT
ENDURE.
31 By all the stars in heaven Romeo and Juliet by In the balcony scene, Romeo describes Juliet’s eyes as
William Shakespeare “two of the fairest stars in all the heaven.”
(Act 2, Scene 2)
31 O, she doth teach the torches to Romeo and Juliet by The moment Romeo lays eyes on Juliet at the Capulet
burn bright. William Shakespeare ball, he is in love. Romeo, a Montague, does not yet know
(Act 1, Scene 5) that she is a Capulet – their families are sworn enemies.

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31 I will speak to [her]. Hamlet by William Hamlet has just seen the ghost of his father.
Shakespeare (Act 1,
Scene 4)
32 Dreams are the children of an Romeo and Juliet by Mercutio, Romeo’s friend, discusses his dreams as the two
idle brain, begot of nothing but William Shakespeare walk to the Capulet ball.
vain fantasy which is as thin of (Act 1, Scene 4)
substance as the air.
33 such words that will make you "Sonnet 18" by William The last lines of Sonnet 18 are “So long as
immortal. Shakespeare men can breathe or eyes can see, so long
lives this and this gives life to thee.” – meaning that this
poem renders the subject immortal.
35 Romeo, Romeo Romeo and Juliet by The following scene is a nod to both the balcony scene in
William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet and the scene in Cyrano de Bergerac in
(Act 2, Scene 2) and which Cyrano feeds lines to his friend Christian as he tries
Cyrano de Bergerac by to talk to Roxanne.
Edmund Nostrand
(Act 3, Scene 6)
36-38, Rough winds do shake the “Sonnet 18” by William The speaker goes on to draw comparisons between the
46-47, darling buds of May, and Shakespeare beauty of summer and the beauty of that whom they
61/63 summer’s lease hath … So long love. Their beauty lasts forever, as does eternal summer.
lives this, and this gives life to
thee.
39 With love’s light wings, did I o’er Romeo and Juliet by After the ball, Romeo lingers in the Capulets’ orchard and
perch these walls … Therefore William Shakespeare tells Juliet, who is looking down on him from her balcony,
thy kinsmen are no stop to me. (Act 2, Scene 2) that he flew over the orchard walls to her on the wings of
love.
40 I am fortune’s fool. Romeo and Juliet by Romeo has just killed Tybalt.
William Shakespeare
(Act 3, Scene 1)
42 I was Henry the Sixth – several Henry VI by William Henry VI is written in 3 parts; Alleyn is believed to have
times Shakespeare played the title role in all three.
43 They cut my head off in Titus Titus Andronicus by The characters of Alarbus, Martius, and Quintus are all
Andronicus. William Shakespeare beheaded in Titus Andronicus. Many of John Webster’s
plays are as gory (or more so) than Titus Andronicus.
45, But soft! What light through Romeo and Juliet by Romeo, from Capulets’ orchard, gazes up at Juliet on her
59/60 yonder window breaks? Is it the William Shakespeare balcony, and he admires her effortless beauty.
East … That I might touch that (Act 2, Scene 2)
cheek!
48 She always was a pious little girl Romeo and Juliet by Allusion to the introduction of Juliet’s Nurse. She
William Shakespeare describes Juliet’s childhood with several double
(Act 1, Scene 3) entendres.
50 O then I see Queen Mab hath Romeo and Juliet by Romeo tells Mercutio he has had a dream, and Mercutio
been with you. William Shakespeare delivers a monologue about a fairy who visits people’s
(Act 1, Scene 4) dreams.
50 A plague on both your houses! Romeo and Juliet by Mercutio curses both the Capulets and Montagues for
William Shakespeare their feud as he dies.
(Act 3, Scene 1)

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51 and gets shipwrecked on the N/A Four Shakespearean plays feature a shipwreck: Twelfth
island Night, Pericles, The Comedy of Errors, and The Tempest.
52 [Will is enchanted by Viola’s N/A This is an allusion to Orlando falling for Rosalind (As You
performance] Like It) and Orsino falling for Viola (Twelfth Night) while the
woman is dressed as a man.
52 If I profane with my unworthiest Romeo and Juliet by At the ball, Romeo takes Juliet’s hand and, making a
(partial hand, this holy shrine, the William Shakespeare religious metaphor of her as a saint and him as a pilgrim,
quote in gentle sin is this … Saints do not (Act 1, Scene 5) tries to convince her to kiss him.
HSE) move, though grant for prayers’
sake. Then move not while my
prayer’s effect I take.
53 Saints do not move though Romeo and Juliet by Romeo, continuing the metaphor, says that a kiss from
grant for prayers’ sake. Then William Shakespeare her is his prayer granted, and so they kiss again.
move not while my prayer’s (Act 1, Scene 5)
effect I take … O trespass
sweetly urg’d! Give me my sin
again.
53- Come hither, Nurse. What is Romeo and Juliet by After Juliet kisses Romeo, who is masked at the Capulet
54/54 yond gentleman? Go ask his William Shakespeare ball, she sends her nurse to discover who he is.
name … The only son of your (Act 1, Scene 5)
great enemy.
55/56 I had that Christopher Marlowe N/A A nod to the joke that London cab drivers frequently
in the back of my boat once. boast about the celebrities they have driven.
56/57 Tell me how you love her As You Like It by William Rosalind (disguised as Ganymede) tells Orlando to woo
Shakespeare (Act 3, her as if she were Rosalind. Rosalind then admonishes
Scene 2) him saying that no woman is worthy of such lofty praise.
58/59 O brave new world! The Tempest by William Miranda, having been secluded on an island for most of
Shakespeare (Act 5, her life, revels in the arrival of men via a shipwreck.
Scene 1)
59- O, be some other name! What’s Romeo and Juliet by In her desire to be with Romeo, Juliet wishes he was not a
60/60- in a name… Too flattering-sweet William Shakespeare Montague, because their families are enemies.
61 to be substantial. (Act 2, Scene 2)
60/61- I would I were thy bird. Sweet, so Romeo and Juliet by As night turns to day, Romeo must leave the orchard to
62 would I. … The more I have. For William Shakespeare avoid being spotted – and killed – by a Capulet guard.
both are infinite. (Act 2, Scene 2)
62/64 Believe me, love, it was the owl. Romeo and Juliet by Juliet refuses to believe it’s morning, so she tells Romeo
William Shakespeare he heard the nightingale (a nocturnal creature), and not
(Act 3, Scene 5) a lark.
63/65 I will drag her out myself. The Taming of the Petruchio drags Kate back to his house to make her
Shrew by William obedient.
Shakespeare
67/70 I’ll wager my fortune. The Taming of the Petruchio offers a wager for the husband whose wife
Shrew by William comes most obediently when he calls.
Shakespeare
68/71 [Marlowe in disguise] N/A There is much conjecture that Christopher Marlowe was a
spy for Sir Francis Walsingham.

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69/72 I refuse to stay and see myself N/A Marlowe will be murdered instead in the tavern at
murdered here tonight. Deptford.
69/72 The fee simple! Oh simple! Romeo and Juliet by Spoken by Mercutio after Benvolio says he would die if he
William Shakespeare quarreled as much as Mercutio does. Mercutio says it in
(Act 3, Scene 1) the moment before his death, similarly to Marlowe in this
scene. It is also the cue directly before “By my head, here
come the Capulets.”
70- By my head, here comes the Romeo and Juliet by Mercutio, Romeo’s dear friend, and Tybalt, Juliet’s hot-
71/73- Capulets. By my heel, I care not. William Shakespeare headed cousin, argue in the streets after Tybalt verbally
74 … Ask for me tomorrow, and (Act 3, Scene 1) attacks Mercutio.
you shall find me a grave man.
73/76 The play’s the thing! Hamlet by William Hamlet decides to trick Claudius into a confession by
Shakespeare (Act 2, presenting his crimes as a play.
Scene 2)
78/82 If there be no breath on your lips Romeo and Juliet by Similar to a moment in Romeo and Juliet when Romeo
let the worms have me too. William Shakespeare incorrectly hears that Juliet has died.
(Act 5, Scene 1)
78- Wilt thou be gone? It is Romeo and Juliet by Romeo must leave Juliet’s bedroom, so as to not be found
79/83, not yet near day. It was the William Shakespeare by Capulet guards, and descends from her balcony. They
98/103- nightingale… And trust me, (Act 3, Scene 5) are unsure if they are ever to see each other again due to
104 love, in my eye so do you. Dry the tensions between their two households.
sorrow drinks our blood. Adieu,
adieu!
79/83 Yond light is not daylight; I Romeo and Juliet by As Romeo prepares to lower himself from Juliet’s balcony,
know it, I… Come, death, and William Shakespeare she convinces him to stay longer.
welcome! Juliet wills it so. (Act 3, Scene 5)
83/88 Enemies. Brothers. Lend me your Julius Caesar by William Allusion to to the famous beginning of Marc Antony's
ears. Shakespeare (Act 3, speech: “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your
Scene 2) ears.”
88/93 Such mortal drugs I have; but Romeo and Juliet by The Apothecary tells Romeo that he has the illegal poison
Mantua's law is death to any he William Shakespeare that Romeo seeks.
that utters them. (Act 5, Scene 1)
88/93 The whole thing is hopeless. A Midsummer Night's Once the lovers return, they attend a performance
Dream by William of Pyramus and Thisbe, performed by the craftsmen.
Shakespeare (Act 5, Philostrate warns the court that the performance is
Scene 1) terrible in every respect.
88-89/ [Wabash stutters through the A Midsummer Night's An allusion to Quince stumbling and stuttering while
93-94 beginning of the Prologue of Dream by William delivering the prologue of Pyramus and Thisbe.
Romeo and Juliet.] Shakespeare (Act 5,
Scene 1)
89/94 In fair Verona, where we lay our Romeo and Juliet by The chorus starts the play by telling the story of two star-
scene, From ancient grudge William Shakespeare crossed lovers who end up taking their own lives because
break to new mutiny … Doth (Prologue) of an ancient grudge between their two households.
with their death bury their
parents’ strife...
91/96 Give him cider vinegar and N/A In addition to Henslowe’s theatrical accounts, his diary
honey. also gave detailed descriptions of magic spells and cures
he purchased from the astrologer Simon Forman.

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93/98 Do you realise how long it’s Romeo and Juliet by The apothecary has seven lines, compared to other
taken me to learn this bloody William Shakespeare Shakespearean parts (like Hamlet), which have over
part? 4,000. At times the Globe performed ten plays in two
weeks so the actors had little more than a day or so to
learn each part.
100-101/ For here lies Juliet … This is thy Romeo and Juliet by Romeo, mistakenly believing Juliet is dead, poisons
106" sheath: there rust, and let me William Shakespeare himself. When she rouses and sees Romeo dead, Juliet
die. (Act 5, Scene 3) stabs herself.
101/107 Have a care with my name, you’ll N/A Queen Elizabeth arrives as a deus ex machina, a common
wear it out plot device that Shakespeare used in As You Like It,
Pericles, Cymbeline, and The Winter’s Tale.
101/107 Oh, you are sick of self love. Twelfth Night by Olivia delivers the line to Malvolio.
William Shakespeare
(Act 1 Scene 5)
105/110 Angels and ministers of grace Hamlet by William Hamlet has just seen the ghost of his father.
defend us. Shakespeare (Act 1,
Scene 4)

Shakespeare in Love Production Handbook 80

 Based on the screenplay by
Marc Norman & Tom Stoppard

Adapted for the stage by

Lee Hall

Music by
Paddy Cunneen

Originally produced on the West End by Disney Theatrical Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions,
directed by Declan Donnellan, and designed by Nick Ormerod.

PRODUCTION HANDBOOK CREDITS

Editor
Julie Haverkate

Writers
Borna Barzin, Ken Cerniglia, Amanda Grundy, Julie Haverkate, Sarah Kenny, Janette Martinez, Colleen McCormack, Henry Tisch

Additional Content
Lauren Chapman, Matt Hagmeier Curtis, Pearl Hodiwala, Curt James, Lisa Mitchell, David Redman Scott, Matt Zambrano

Designer
Erica Scalogna

Layout Editor
Matt Hagmeier Curtis

Production Photos
Austin Independent School District Fine Arts; Austin, TX
Chaminade High School; Mineola, NY
Columbia High School; Maplewood, NJ
Dr. Phillips High School; Orlando, FL
J. J. Pearce High School; Richardson, TX
Tuacahn High School; Ivins, UT

Find a complete listing of Disney stage titles at [Link].

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