Gender Play, or what you Will
About the Show
Gender Play, or what you Will is Will Wilhelm’s playwriting debut!
Gender Play is an immersive solo show that reimagine’s Shakespeare’s most iconic characters through a gender-imaginative lens.
In it, a trans actor named Will has been seeking purpose and belonging, despite not seeing their story reflected in media or history. In their most desperate hour, they hold a seance to summon one of the oldest and queerest playwrights of the English language - William Shakespeare! The two are becoming total besties and Will invites you to an impromptu party to celebrate this new friendship. Join Will & Will as they reclaim the Bard’s old plays in all of their original homoerotic, cross-dressing, genderfluid glory. But to meet the guest of honor, we must perform the seance again, together.
Gender Play, or what you Will promises a mystical journey of queer joy, laughter, tarot, and self-discovery through the classics.
Upcoming Performances
produced by Indianapolis Shakespeare Company presented at Phoenix Theatre from April 10-27. Click here for tickets!
Winnipeg Fringe Festival from July 16-27, schedule TBA
Award Nominations
Nominated for three 2023 Jeff Awards for Excellence in Chicago Theatre
Best Solo Performance (Will Wilhelm)
Best New Work (Will Wilhelm & Erin Murray)
Best Lighting Design (Gabrielle Strong)
Reviews
“This incredibly original theatrical production isn’t exactly a play. It’s more like a Happening or an Event… filled with fun, festivities and flights of fantasy. RECOMMENDED”
“A tour de force and a must-see! …a forceful and captivating performance ★★★★★”
“A glimmering tour de force through some of Shakespeare’s most compelling characters and real-life lovers… Gender Play, or what you Will is an exuberant celebration of the potential of storytelling, filled with decadent costume reveals, surprise dance parties, a robust mastery of Shakespeare’s work, and the talent that is Will Wilhelm.”
“Delightfully, unapologetically queer… It’s not an easy task to recontextualize a set of plays and poems that have been infinitely recontextualized over the course of more than four hundred years, but ... Wilhelm and Murray have managed to do just that. Whether you’re a Shakespeare devotee like me or would normally pass on his work, do yourself a favor and come see this show. It’s something truly special.”
“Clever and fascinating ... spending the better part of two hours in Wilhelm’s company is worth your time all by itself.”
“In this charming one-enby show ... Wilhelm digs deep into the experience of being othered as a trans person and draws parallels between the othered folks that Shakespeare made sure to represent”
