The Beard of Avon

It is hardly a secret that the authorship of the Shakespeare plays has been the subject of much controversy. Everyone from Christopher Marlowe to Queen Elizabeth herself has been put forward as the only possible candidate. In 1987, a mock trial was held by the Supreme Court (Shakespeare aficionados all) in Washington, D.C. to ascertain the true identity of the author of the works ascribed to William Shakespeare. While the decision handed down was that there was insufficient evidence to prove that Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford (a leading contender), wrote the plays, they added that there was also insufficient evidence to convince that William Shaxper of Stratford-upon-Avon did. Amy Freed takes on this controversy in The Beard of Avon, unleashing an irreverent farce in the spirit of Shakespeare in Love to save us all from taking ourselves too seriously. Diego Arciniegas directs.

The Beard of Avon plays in repertory with Copenhagen.