1 of 3
Chris Smith
Shagspeare, played by Rafael Untalan, with Prime Minister Robert Cecil, played by Steven Carpenter.
2 of 3
Cast members (from top left, clockwise) Zoe Speas (Judith), Steven Carpenter (Nate/Cecil), Nicholas Wilder (Armin), Mitchell Grant (Sharpe), Rafael Untalan (Shag) and Joe Pabst (Richard/Garnet).
3 of 3
Chris Smith
Shagspeare with Judith, his younger daughter, played by Zoe Speas.
In the Bill Cain play Equivocation, events revolve around “Shagspeare” (or "Shag," for short) a playwright commissioned in 1605 by England’s prime minister to tell the “true historie” of the Gunpowder Plot to assassinate King James I. But when Shag and the Globe actors start to investigate, they find that all is not as it first appears. “It’s a fascinating investigation into a situation where no one will be benefited by telling the truth,” director Jan Powell says of the co-production of Henley Street Theatre/Richmond Shakespeare and Virginia Repertory Theatre. Virginia Rep spokeswoman Susan Davenport adds, “It's very intriguing and it's pretty intense." Sara Belle and Neil November Theatre. $38 to $46. 282-2620 or va-rep.org.
