Equivocation at The Geffen Playhouse

Equivocation starts at The Geffen Playhouse tomorrow Nov. 10th and runs through Dec. 20th. I'm not seeing it till next week, but I wanted to tell you about it now, so you can get tickets. I have heard nothing but rave reviews for this play. I think it's a can't miss sell out. Seriously, my mother say it in Oregon about a month ago and is dying to see it again, and bought ticket for my aunt and sister( I already had a ticket, or that would have been harsh), because she wanted them to see it too. So call today for tickets.



Here's the synopsis from the Geffen Site
Join Shakespeare and his winsome troupe in this fantastic new tale that satiates Bard-loving purists and advocates of groundbreaking theater alike. The runaway hit of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and a sure-to-be classic, Equivocation pits the poetry of the world’s greatest playwright against the word of his King. Written in modern English with playful allusions to some of the Bard’s greatest works, Equivocation’s gripping narrative, keen humor and political intrigue culminate in what critics are calling “dazzling,” “a masterful work” and “the must-see play of the season.”

Performance Notes: Equivocation contains mature language, subject matter and brief nudity. Strobe effects and herbal cigarettes are also used. The estimated running time is 2:45 including one intermission.

UPDATE: Here's a much more detailed Synopsis they sent me today 11/17. Just thought you might like it.

Synopsis: During the reign of King James one of the most infamous plots against the establishment failed on November 5th, now known as Guy Fawkes Day. In an attempt to publicize the failure of the traitors and more importantly, to entrap them, King James' emissary, Cecil, is charged with hiring the greatest playwright of the day to tell the story and in doing so, solidify the guilt of those involved. Hesitant to participate in what is clearly propaganda for the crown, Shakespeare agrees to take on the challenge. His troupe of players, currently rehearsing King Lear, is desperate for a play that doesn't include nudity and lengthy passages of gibberish, so they happily agree. Once they are all engaged, it becomes clear that the story they have been commissioned to tell is far from the truth. The crown is in a full fledged witch hunt involving Jesuit priests and as the executions begin, Shakespeare and his players are trapped between what they have been asked to do and the truth.

Equivocation is a cautionary tale about the power of the few outweighing the good sense of the many. In a time when transparency has become a privilege as opposed to a right, Bill Cain's political drama explores the role of the individual on the world stage, and how art and politics intersect to tell an amalgamated version of what has transpired. Cain's choice to dramatize Shakespeare and his players further enriches this play by giving us glimpses of a theatrical world that enthralls us all, the time in which the greatest plays in the English language were created.