‘Equivocation’ runs at Shakespeare Theatre of NJ
The restored Globe Theatre in London is a living testament to the words of William Shakespeare.
Not far from the Globe stands the Tower of London. Etched into its stones are different words, written by prisoners who were kept in the Tower. Some of those people were prisoners of conscience who were jailed for speaking against the monarchy.
The juxtaposition of these two structures sparked an idea in writer Bill Cain.
The result: “Equivocation,” a play that is receiving its New Jersey premiere at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in Madison, now through Oct. 4.
Cain’s experience in London occurred several years ago. A devotee of the Bard, he had founded the Boston Shakespeare Co.
“I was in London to see (actor) Mark Ryland at the Globe,” Cain says. “While I was there, I went on a tour of the Tower of London. You could see what the prisoners of conscience had written in the stones of the walls.”
“I was struck by the contrast between Shakespeare — who was writing in defense of the regimes of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I — and these people who had been imprisoned by those regimes,” Cain says.
Cain then began the process of researching Shakespeare and his time.
He eventually made the connection to the Gunpowder Plot, the notorious 1605 incident in which Guy Fawkes and his followers attempted to blow up Parliament.
In particular, Cain read the theory that the plot was actually sponsored by the government.
A key figure was Robert Garnet, a Jesuit priest who was hanged, drawn, and quartered for his complicity.
“Finding out about Garnet was big,” says Cain, who is himself a Jesuit. “Garnet is typically seen as one of the villains in Bonfire Night (the annual celebrations across England on Guy Fawkes Day).”
Cain’s research unearthed another interesting perspective.
Shakespeare allowed every actor to have a say in the running of the theatrical company.
“The argument is that the Globe was the only functioning democracy in Europe at the time,” Cain says.
In Cain’s script, the Bard has been renamed “Shagspeare.”
“There were several alternate spellings to Shakespeare’s name, and ‘Shagspeare’ was one,” he says. “It was useful because it gave me some distance from the character.”
At the same time, Cain felt responsible to some fidelity to history.
“I think the Shagspeare in my play is a plausible version of William Shakespeare,” he says.
“Equivocation” is only one of several works to Cain’s credit. His other plays include “Stand-Up Tragedy,” “Nine Circles,” and “How to Write a New Book for the Bible.”
He also created the short-lived ABC series “Nothing Sacred.”
Cain is no stranger to Madison.
In 1972, he was an intern at what was then known as the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival.
“As a writer, I try to create images that allow us to have our own experiences. I try to show who we are.”
At the same time, Cain respects actors and seeks to give them opportunities to show off their talent.
For that reason, several of the parts in “Equivocation” are deliberately doubled.
Though his play touches on weighty subjects of truth and art, Cain stresses that he wrote as an entertainment.
“ ‘Equivocation’ is very theatrical, and I hope people come away from it feeling enlivened,” he says.
EQUIVOCATION
WHEN: Through Oct. 4
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Wednesdays: Sept. 23, and 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays: Sept. 24 and Oct. 1 at 8 p.m.
Fridays: Tonight, Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 at 8 p.m.
Saturdays: Sept. 19 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 26 and Oct. 3 at 2 and 8 p.m.
Sundays: Sept. 20 and 27 and Oct. 4 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Tuesdays: Sept. 22 and 29 at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Ave., Madison
TICKETS: $15 to $70. Student rush tickets available half-hour before performance.
INFORMATION: 973-408-5600 or www.ShakespeareNJ.org