From left, Chip Winn Wells, Christopher Wheatley, Brad Moore, Michael Banks and Bob Moore in a scene from “The Book of Will,” playing April 5-21 at the New Space Theatre at CMC Spring Valley at Glenwood Springs. The play will be livestreamed on April 7, 13 and 19. Photo by Scot Gerdes
Sopris Theatre Company performs 'The Book of Will' live and livestreamed April 5-21
April 3, 2024 — The Sopris Theatre Company at the Spring Valley campus of Colorado Mountain College will present “The Book of Will,” by Lauren Gunderson in April.
It has been three years since Shakespeare’s death, and his closest friends miss him dearly. They have only some of his masterful plays in their possession, and — after hearing a badly botched version of “Hamlet” at a nearby theater — they realize Shakespeare’s words are starting to fade into obscurity.
His friends decide all his plays need to be found or recreated and published in a definitive collection of his works. So, they set out to compile as many of his manuscripts as possible, going head-to-head against a shady publisher, a drunken poet, shrinking resources and their own mortality.
The Boulder Weekly wrote, “The Book of Will" "unequivocally announces Gunderson as a playwright... to be reckoned (with). It is, quite frankly, one of the best plays I have ever seen. It will bring tears of both laughter and sorrow to all but the most jaded audience member’s eyes. It is, in a word, a triumph.”
One of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015, Gunderson topped the list three times, including 2022-23. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play award for “I and You” and “The Book of Will”; the Lanford Wilson and Otis Guernsey New Voices awards; a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn prize and John Gassner award for playwriting; and a recipient of the Mellon Foundation’s residency with the Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley, California.
Performances are Fridays and Saturdays, April 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 at 7 p.m. Matinee performances are set for Sundays, April 7, 14 and 21 at 2 p.m. In-person performances are in the New Space Theatre, CMC Spring Valley, 3000 County Road 114, Glenwood Springs. Livestreaming will be available on April 7, 13, and 19. There will also be post-show conversations on those dates.
US Bank is the season presenting sponsor, along with a City of Aspen Arts and Culture grant.
Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for seniors, students, CMC faculty and staff. Streaming tickets are $20 for an individual and $35 for a viewing party. Purchase both in-person and streaming tickets at Sopris Theatre Company's current productions webpage. Tickets for in-person performances are also available at 970-947-8177 or at Spring Valley ticket sales.