HENRY CONDELL – 40. Feisty, hopeful friend and actor in the King’s Men. (Henry, John and Richard wear identical mourning rings for Will)
JOHN HEMINGES – 50. Reasonable friend and financial manager of the King’s Men. Owner of the Globe Tap House; a good man, a gentleman, if serious. (Henry, John and Richard wear identical mourning rings for Will)
RICHARD BURBAGE – 50s. Seasoned lion of the stage, famous across England, loud and proud. (Henry, John and Richard wear identical mourning rings for Will)
ALICE HEMINGES – 35, John’s daughter and alewife, knows everyone and hangs with the boys.
BOY HAMLET – Young actor.
BARMAN – Ruffian.
BARMAN 2 – Drunk.
BEN JONSON – Poet laureate of England, friend/rival of Shakespeare. Amazing drunk. A bear of a man. Surprisingly weepy.
ELIZABETH CONDELL – Henry’s wife, savvy and fun.
REBECCA HEMINGES – John’s wife, a good wife. Strong, busy with their grocery business, a woman who has weathered much but loves her husband and sons and God.
ED KNIGHT – “Stage manager” for the King’s Men, self-serious and particular.
RALPH CRANE – Humble scrivener of the King’s Men. Quick, sure, quiet.
WILLIAM JAGGARD – Successful if shady publisher of books, plays and playbills. He is confident in his ability to get what he wants. Very experienced, very connected, willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. An ass.
ISAAC JAGGARD – William’s son, will inherit the business. Sensitive, an artist at heart.
MARCUS – 20, printer’s apprentice at the Jaggard print shop, nosy but honest.
COMPOSITOR – Works for Jaggard, young.
EMILIA BASSANO LANIER – 50, fiery Italian feminist and poet, independent woman, lover of life (and of Shakespeare).
ANNE HATHAWAY SHAKESPEARE – 60, Shakespeare’s now ailing wife. Strong-willed, a classy lady, a survivor.
SUSANNAH SHAKESPEARE – 30, good girl and daughter of Shakespeare.
CRIER – Newsboy.
BERNARDO, FRANCISCO – Actors playing those roles.
SIR EDWARD DERING – 60, book and theatre lover.
HORATIO
FRUIT SELLER
MARCELLUS
Doubling available for 10 actors. Casting should be diverse, Shakespeare is for everyone.