The play “March Tale,” written in Elizabethan style by University of Utah Professor Tim Slover, was performed on campus Oct. 1 through 3. The play follows three main storylines that are tightly intertwined.
Dr. Craig Ferre, director of the play and the BYUH theatre professor, said he was very pleased with the final product and that this particular cast was “a real joy to work with.”
Students who went to see the play, such as Noelle Oldham, a freshman from Florida studying art, said, “The actors were very devoted to their characters and really dragged me into their story.” Alex Meyers, a freshman from Utah studying English said “I hadn’t ever seen a BYUH play before, but after this I don’t think it will be the last time I go.”
The curtain opens on Queen Elizabeth I, played by Ingrid Veliz, who is stricken with illness and in the final days of her life. To take her mind off of her worsening condition, she takes her court to Richmond to see a play being performed by William Shakespeare’s theatre company.
Upon arriving in Richmond, the audience is introduced to William Shakespeare, played by Justin Putnam. He is talking with his wife, Anne Hathaway Shakespeare, played by Brittany Wilcox, who urged him to leave the theatre behind and come home with her.
A passionate playwright, William decides to pursue his career instead.
During the performance by Shakespeare’s troupe, the focus shifts to backstage, where Shakespeare’s cast going over their lines. Here the audience is introduced to Richard Burbage, played by Fred Baehr, who is one of Shakespeare’s chief players, and Tom, played by Chris Cornelison, a young thespian who has never known love.
As the show continues, the audience meets Emilia, played by Samantha Daynes, a woman who is betrothed to a man she does not love. She pleads with the queen to free her from the arrangement. After her request is denied, she seeks comfort from her friend Celia, played by Alison Taylor. Tom spots Emilia in passing and falls in love. Before he has a chance to say anything, she and Celia make themselves scarce, leaving only a hairpin for Tom to remember Emilia by.
After Tom talks to Shakespeare about his new love interest, the two go and begin practice for the Queen’s play. In this scene, the rest of the actors are introduced: John Heminge, played by Erich Baehr; Robert Armin, played by Tyce Olaveson; and the main antagonist, William Kemp, played by LeGrand Lawrence. Kemp was kicked out of the troupe and is seeking revenge on Shakespeare.
After Emilia infiltrates Shakespeare’s troupe disguised as a young boy, she learns of Tom’s burning love for her and acts as a motivator for him to build up the courage to write Emilia a love letter. While this is happening, Shakespeare is writing a play for his neglected wife, and Kemp is plotting the perfect revenge.
After Emilia, still in disguise, and Tom plot to deliver the love letter, Emilia realizes she can’t easily deliver the letter to herself without blowing her cover. She asks Celia to stand in dressed as Emilia in an effort to keep the wool over Tom’s eyes.
When the day of letter delivery comes, Tom builds up the courage to deliver the love letter himself and Emilia ends up having to come out of disguise to explain what happened and professes her love for Tom. Emilia again asks the Queen let her out of her betrothal so she can marry Tom. The Queen again denies her request.
While love was in full bloom between Tom and Emilia, Kemp was gearing up to exact his revenge. Kemp and his semi-willing sidekick Armin sneak into Shakespeare’s office and trash the place, burning the play Shakespeare had been writing for his wife.
Armin collects the pieces of the play and gave it to Shakespeare as an apology just before the big performance for the Queen. Shakespeare gets upset and confronts Kemp about his actions. During their discussion, Kemp makes a comment similar to something Anne had told William earlier that helps him realize he should be spending more time with his family. He thanks Kemp for helping him come to this conclusion and getting the company ready to start the play.
The show begins with Tom’s feelings for Emilia heavy on his mind. In one scene of the production, Tom delivers a line that reflects his feelings toward his unfair situation with Emilia and the Queen not permitting their marriage. With passion in his voice, Tom delivers the dialogue and shakes the Queen to her core. She is moved, realizes she was wrong about Emilia and Tom, and grants them permission to wed.
The final scene of the play shows William and Anne reflecting on life and their future. William tells her he plans to still write plays from time to time, but his family would now be his top priority.
Ferre said the next theatre production will be a musical, though the specific one has not been chosen yet.