Master Skylark of Stratford

Adapted from a novel by John Bennett. Here is an excellent picture of the Shakespearean era from a young person’s point of view without being about the Bard himself. Young Nick is so enamored of the theatre that when his strict father forbids him from attending, Nick runs away from his home in Stratford-upon-Avon. When a disreputable actor, just released from jail, discovers Nick’s beautiful voice, he calls him Master Skylark and forces him to perform with his troupe. Nick's captors treat him well, but he longs for freedom and his home. His voice eventually brings him to the attention of Queen Elizabeth I. With her patronage and additional help from Master William Shakespeare (who only appears near the end of the play), Nick escapes and returns home, though not before a frightening visit with his captor, now held at Newgate Prison. The action is continuous, one scene blending into another. Winner of numerous awards (see below). Full evening.

AWARDS First place winner in the 2002 Columbia (MO) Entertainment Company’s Jackie White Memorial National Children’s Playwriting Contest. Semi-finalist in the 2003 Bonderman Symposium sponsored by the Indiana Repetory Theatre. “A delightful and quite convincing visit to Elizabethan England! Each of the large cast of characters is well-defined, even to the smallest roles...the plot is compelling from the very first...the ease of area staging is well suited to the fast-paced action.” Co-winner in the American Alliance for Theatre and Education AATE Unpublished Play Project, Salt Lake City. “The author does a great job creating rich, interesting characters, even among the very small roles...{they} help create rich and interesting world.... The historical detail of the play is excellent...detailed characters, interesting family relationships...lovely historical touches throughout and the language is fun and evocative.”