Next Act Theatre presents: GOD'S SPIES

Zach Thomas Woods, Mark Ulrich, and Eva Nimmer in the world premiere of GOD'S SPIES at Next Act Theatre in Milwaukee. Photo by Ross Zentner.

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By Mary Boyle

Next Act Theatre's outgoing Artistic Director, David Cecsarini, is a huge fan of playwright Bill Cain, so it's no surprise that he chose to direct one of his plays for his last turn as Artistic Director and the final play of Next Act's season.  Cain's EQUIVOCATION ran in 2018 at Next Act and HOW TO WRITE A NEW BOOK FOR THE BIBLE in 2019.  Then, in March of 2020, Next Act had to cancel Cain's 9 CIRCLES because of the pandemic, which was later released as a virtual production in 2021.  In 2022, Cecsarini also directed the world premiere of Cain's THE LAST WHITE MAN and now shares anther world premiere with GOD'S SPIES.

Interestingly, it was during the pandemic when Cain wrote this play, which is the imagined tale of how Shakespeare may have come about writing King Lear in the Elizabethan pandemic known as The Plague.  The year is 1603 and the story is set in a bawdy house near The Globe Theatre in London, where a prostitute named Ruth (Eva Nimmer) is trying to throw out her most recent client, a naive Scottish lawyer and scrivener named Edgar (Zach Thomas Woods). Edgar  has made his way to the city to see his beloved King Jamie VI be crowned James the First of England, but became distracted at the theatre by the lovely Ruth.  Before Ruth can throw him out, a man enters who is looking for Edgar, as he hired him to copy a sonnet.  The man is none other than the Bard, himself (Mark Ulrich), and Ruth, who finds her gentlemen at The Globe, knows all of his plays by heart.  What might have been a brief encounter for all of them suddenly becomes a long acquaintance when their door is marked by a red "X" and they are forbidden to leave because of The Plague.

While King Lear is predominantly a heavy tragedy, God's Spies is surprisingly funny for a play set during The Plague, especially considering we aren't too far out of our own recent pandemic.  The Shakespeare of this play is quite accessible, human, and relatable and, in between the jokes about Scottish accents and the English monarchy, there are moments of great insight and poignancy, all woven in with bits of the actual text of King Lear.  Woods, Nimmer, and Ulrich work beautifully together and, combined with a convincing set design by Rick Rasmussen and costumes by Amelia Strahan, it isn't hard to be transported to Elizabethan England while also realizing the similarities to our own time.

Audiences members who enjoy Shakespeare will have no problem being intrigued by this story, which is set near the time when historians believe King Lear was actually written; however, one does not need to be a fan of the Bard, or even English history, to appreciate this tale, which actually centers on Ruth who, though she is a "small person," has more courage, understanding, and wisdom than either of the learned gentlemen she is housebound with.  There is a universal truth to the suffering our characters endure and it is one that, hopefully, we will learn from our trials, as well: that, above all, we are here to love one another.  This is not so much a historical play as it is a timeless and timely one - go see it while you can.

GOD'S SPIES runs through May 21st at Next Act Theatre, located at 225 S. Water Street in Milwaukee.  Tickets may be purchased by going to www.NextAct.org or by calling (414) 278-0765.  Masks may be required or optional, based on Milwaukee's CDC Covid-19 transmission level.  Masks are provided.  GOD’S SPIES is sponsored by Jan Serr & John Shannon and Donna Martynski and is presented as part of World Premiere Wisconsin, a state-wide festival celebrating new plays and musicals from March 1 – June 30, 2023, presented by the Ten Chimneys Foundation. To learn more, visit www.worldpremierewisconsin.com.  

Next Act Theatre is excited to announce its 2023-24 season. This season is the first chosen by Next Act’s new Artistic Director, Cody Estle. He assumed the role in December 2022. It represents a significant change for Next Act Theatre after the retirement of former Producing Artistic Director David Cecsarini, who held the role for 30 years. Estle, formerly the Artistic Director of Chicago’s Raven Theatre, was named one of Newcity Stage’s “Fifty People Who Really Perform For Chicago” and called “a masterful director of mid-American realism” by Chicago writer Kerry Reid.
 
The 23-24 season includes two Wisconsin premieres (SPLASH HATCH ON THE E GOING DOWN, THE TREASURER), one Midwest premiere (SCARECROW) and a revival of a timeless play (THE MOUSETRAP). It showcases Milwaukee talent, including directors Mary MacDonald Kerr (THE MOUSETRAP) and Laura Gordon (SCARECROW). In addition, the latter play is a home-grown story – SCARECROW takes place on a dairy farm outside of Madison, and this is the first time the play will be performed in Wisconsin. Heidi Armbruster, recently seen in the Milwaukee Rep’s GOD OF CARNAGE and WIFE OF A SALESMAN, will perform the play she wrote. Estle’s directorial debut will take place at the end of the season with THE TREASURER.


About Next Act Theatre

Next Act Theatre engages the hearts and minds of audiences with intimate, compelling productions intended to stimulate thought, foster the exchange of ideas, and promote the development of new perspectives and understanding.  Led by Producing Artistic Director, David Cecsarini for 30 seasons, Next Act welcomed Cody Estle in December of 2022 as the new Artistic Director. Next Act continues its tradition of creating high-quality, professional theatre in Milwaukee. The past 30 seasons have earned the company its strong reputation for producing engaging work that feels intimate, powerful and personal. The plays presented are passionate, often bold, sometimes humorous, and always up-close-and-personal presentations of life.  A strong, vibrant and financially stable company, Next Act produces a four-show season of contemporary drama. The company is particularly noted for its acting excellence, accessible performance style, and for a varied and consistently interesting selection of plays, chosen from the best new works and off-Broadway hits. Next Act has mounted more than 100 main stage productions, including over 100 area premieres and six original scripts.

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