A Cry Of Players

A Cry of Players is a drama by William Gibson, first performed in 1968, that portrays the young adult life of William Shakespeare. The title comes from Hamlet, spoken by the aforementioned, Act 3, Scene 2: "Would not this, sir, and a forest of feathers-- if the rest of my fortunes turn Turk with me--with two provincial roses on my razed shoes, get me a fellowship in a cry of players, sir?"[1]

A Cry of Players
Written by William Gibson
Date premieredNovember 14, 1968
Place premiered Repertory Theatre, Lincoln Center
New York City
Original languageEnglish
GenreDrama
SettingObscure town in England in the 1580s

Productions

The original production opened on July 24, 1968 at the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The show was directed by Gene Frankel.

The show transferred to Broadway to the Repertory Theatre, Lincoln Center and premiered on November 14, 1968. The crew was made up by set design David Hays, costume design Patricia Quinn Stewart, and lighting design John Gleason. Frankel would also direct. Understudies were Ruth Attaway (Meg), Frank Bayer (Arthur), James Cook (Kemp), Leslie Graves (Susanna), Douglas Hayle (Heming), Robert Levine (Richards, Gilbert, Berry), Marilyn Lightstone (Anne), Robert Molock (Pope), William Myers (Hodges, Roche, Old John), Robert Phalen (Will), Robert Stattel (Sandells), and Barbette Tweed (Jenny).[2] The show played in repertoire with William Shakespeare's King Lear.

Original production casts

Character Off-Broadway Broadway
William Shakespeare Frank Langella
Fulk Michael Egan
Meg Lois Kibbee Rosetta LeNoire
Anne Hathaway Anne Bancroft
Richards Robert Donley Ray Fry
Susanna Hall Jackie Paris
Kemp Dan Morgan Robert Symonds
Sir Thomas William Roerick Stephen Elliott
Ned Peter Galman René Auberjonois
Berry Brendan Fay
Sandells Bill Moor
Roche Ray Stewart
Jenny Flora Elkins Susan Tyrrell
Hodges Jerome Dempsey
Heming Tom Sawyer
Arthur Terrence Hall Kristoffer Tabori
Old John Don McHenry
Gilbert Shakespeare Jess Osuna Ronald Weyand
Pope N/A Gerry Black

Plot

The plot is a fictionalized or dramatized version of William Shakespeare's young adult life.[3]

Reception

Clive Barnes, the theatre critic for the New York Times, gave a mixed review, stating "'A Cry Of Players' and a clique of cliches -- there was much that was wrong with William Gibson's new play given by the Lincoln Center Repertory Company at the Vivian Beaumont Theater last night, but there was also much that was right."[4]

References

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