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Overview
Synopsis
George Bernard Shaw’s The Dark Lady of the Sonnets is a fun, one act play that reimagines William Shakespeare’s and Queen Elizabeth’s first meeting. Written as an appeal to create a National Theatre in England, the short play has William going to Whitehall palace to meet the Dark Lady to whom he addresses his sonnets of love, only to fall for the Queen herself as they randomly meet! As Will juggles both women’s tempers and desires, he finds himself inspired to write new material and appeal for a theatre where bold tragedies will be taken seriously.
Show Information
- Book
- George Bernard Shaw
- Text And Format
- George Bernard Shaw
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 1910
- Genres
- Comedy
- Settings
- Period, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- late 1500s-early 1600, the palace at whitehall, england
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- community theatre, regional theatre, fringe festival, College/University, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male, Includes Adult, Young Adult Characters
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Male |
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Lead |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Featured |
Male |
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Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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