(Photo: Michael Grigsby as William Shagspeare, Clinton K. Clark as Thomas Wintour. Photo courtesy of 2nd Street Theater)

Equivocation Opens at 2nd Street Theater January 13

Stage Right Productions kicks off its 2018 Season with Equivocation written by Bill Cain and directed by Rick Jenkins, opening January 12. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3pm, through January 27.

In 1605, Robert Cecil, prime minister to King James I of England, commissions William Shagspeare (Cain’s spelling of Shakespeare) to write a play about the recent Gunpowder Plot — an attempt to blow up the king and his court. The king simply requests that “Shag” add some flattering dialogue — and witches — to the plot. During the course of Bill Cain’s play, Shagspeare and his company grapple with issues of artistry, politics, morality and — perhaps most importantly — life and death. If Shag accepts the commission, and the play inadvertently offends the king, both playwright and players could lose their heads. Shag must decide to what degree he is willing to equivocate about the truth, and how he can serve his king and still maintain his integrity, as an artist.

A high stakes political thriller, Equivocation has more to its story than playing what-if games with the theater’s past. It also explores the moral obligation of artists to resist the manipulations of those in power.

$19 for adults and $16 for seniors/students, tickets available at www.2ndstreettheater.com