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The Killings Tale: An Original Mystery

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  3w, 12m, 1boy(s)

W.A. Frankonis

"Murder most entertaining...[with] some wonderful wordplay that captures Shakespeare's metaphor rich speech." - Metroland
"A
richly layered show...that appeals to the senses and tickles the
imagination. You'll be caught up in a good old fashioned murder
mystery...Offers a unique sense of what it might have been like to work
at the old Globe." - Daily Gazette

The Killings Tale: An Original Mystery

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 12m, 1boy(s)
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Senior, Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13), Teen (Age 14 - 18)

Details

Summary
London, 1606. Murders that mirror and interrupt Shakespeare's plays are afoot in the Globe Theatre and everyone is a suspect, even Shakespeare. Some suspect a ghost. It is up to puritanical High Constable Colin Makepeace to sort through the dead ends and false trails to find the truth and the killer. Along the way, the straitlaced constable finds he is falling in love with Nell Dancer, the spirited tavern owner who is Shakespeare's London girlfriend.
History
The Killings Tale: An Original Mystery was first produced by the New York State Theatre Institute.
Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups
COLIN MAKEPEACE - 38, a High Constable of London
WILL SHAKESPEARE - 42, actor, playwright, producer
NELL DANCER - 26, an Irish tavern owner
WILL KEMPE - 45, actor
JANE PORTER - 19, Kempe's niece
RICHARD BURBAGE - 44, actor and partner in the Globe theatre
URIC STRANGWIDGE - 28, clown actor
GATES - 60, the Globe's aged caretaker
MISTRESS GATES - 59, his wife
DARBY FIELDS - 13, boy actor
HENRY CUFFE - 52, former secretary to Lord Essex
RICHARD FARRIER - 26, an actor
CRANSTON - 21, an actor
THOMAS STONE - 25, an actor
HERBERT PORTER'S GHOST
2 CONSTABLES (who double as a bloody-sheeted figure, various bodies, Herbert Porter's Ghost and other characters as they turn up)

Whatever the actual ages may have been for the historical figures (save Shakespeare), the ages noted have been assigned.

  • Time Period 16th Century / Elizabethan
  • Setting London, during the span of nine days in 1606.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Special Effects
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

"Murder most entertaining...[with] some wonderful wordplay that captures Shakespeare's metaphor rich speech." - Metroland

"A richly layered show...that appeals to the senses and tickles the imagination. You'll be caught up in a good old fashioned murder mystery...Offers a unique sense of what it might have been like to work at the old Globe." - Daily Gazette

"A nifty show, full of intrigue...with a very tight plot that is not afraid to poke clever fun at the times while maintaining suspense." - Northeast Public Radio

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

W.A. Frankonis

W.A. Frankonis

William A. Frankonis (1937-2008) was a professor at both Empire State College and SUNY Albany, and finally, deputy producing director of the New York State Theater Institute, where he mentored, guided and inspired a community of creative individuals. A successful director wi ...

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