Jeff Posson is the director of The Book of Will, a PlayHouse on the Square production that will be debuting on Friday, March 6th and will run until March 22nd. Our own Lucas Finton had an exclusive interview with Posson on his thoughts of the play a few days leading up to Friday. Tickets can be purchased on www.playhouseonthesquare.org.
What are some of your thoughts with the play coming up Friday?
I’m looking forward to seeing how the Memphis audience responds to the play. It’s a play about Shakespeare, but it’s not a Shakespeare play. It’s rare for a writer to become so famous that his life becomes part of the legend. I’m interested to see who shows up. I hope they do. I think it’s a strong play.
So how has Shakespeare influenced this play, considering it is not one of his own?
Well references to Shakespeare and his works are all throughout the play. The main characters are historical friends of Shakespeare. It’s a play about his works and his legacy and the creation of one of the most important documents in western literature.
What is your target audience with this play?
I don’t have one, really. Shakespeare is for everyone and I hope this play is too. It’s for anyone who likes Shakespeare or likes theatre or likes period costumes.
Do you think that this play will pique some interest in Shakespeare for people who might not be very familiar with him and his works?
I certainly hope so. I am a Shakespeare lover. His works have had a profound influence on my life. He’s helped me battle depression, hold fast in times of trouble and accept and overcome the hardest parts of life. I think he’s been given a bad wrap by poor high school English teachers and overly wrought artists trying to fix things that aren’t broken. There’s a reason his work has survived four centuries. It’s brilliant. I hope this show will help humanize the person and make people curious about him again. Shakespeare is my scripture. I hope to spread the word.
