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The Early Years & Final Days of William Shakespeare ~ with Music & Songs -
Look for video scenes and songs from Long Beach Shakespeare Co's full production of EVER WILL!
About EVER WILL -
How Did Shakespeare Become Shakespeare?
Shakespeare has been moving people for nearly 500 years, but who was he? This is the question I seek to answer by bringing him to life during an era of extreme divisiveness and deadly turmoil. Unlike his brilliant counterpart, Christophen Marlowe, who took the theater by storm but was murdered at 29, Shakespeare retired as a successful and much respected playwright. How did this happen? In EVER WILL, we meet the older William, who is retiring from The Globe Theatre and returning to Stratford, where he comes to terms with the losses, betrayals, and dangers of his youth. We also encounter the little boy, Will, thrilled by the traveling Players, and then as the teen who must choose between saving his family from penury or following his star. Ultimately, he chooses both paths, which opens the door to his genius.
Play, Docu-Drama and Musical!
To answer the question, "How did Shakespeare become Shakespeare?", EVER WILL is a combination play, docu-drama and musical. Historical personages step outside the story to share information with the audience that will influence events, Queen Elizabeth I emerges to dictate policies that will roil the Shakespeare family, and the retired William Shakespeare reflects on his early years with wisdom and humor.
Composer Carlos Garza
From the Overture to the last moment of the play, Carlos Garza has composed glorious original songs that give soaring expression to characters' inner lives and the emotional turning-points in Young Shakespeare's story. Carlos recently completed the boisterous "The Players Are Come!" and created another musical romp based on the actual Elizabethan "Kemp's Jig," which 17-year-old Will performs while tutoring in the North. We also showcase a haunting 14th Century Troubadour love ballad that Will sings to a swooning Anne Hathaway. Altogether we have brought 14 original and traditional musical pieces and songs to EVER WILL!
Playwright, Lyricist, Director Pamela Gilbreath Kelly
After years of researching, writing, collaborating with Carlos and having fundraisers, it was a dream-come-true to see EVER WILL come to life on stage! Recently I directed a full production at the Long Beach Shakespeare Company, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director, Holly Leveque, and standing on the shoulders of Bryan Langlitz, who had directed staged readings there, after which the audience enthusiastically asked for more - more music and songs, a movie, or a series! As a result, we now have the brand-new rollicking song, "The Players Are Come!" to introduce us to Young Will and his family! Now we're ready to share EVER WILL with more audiences!
The Story of EVER WILL: The Beginning -
Research & Writing
These are some of the many books I added to my library as I researched Shakespeare's life. I also immersed myself in English history and biographies of historical figures close to Queen Elizabeth I; as well as of Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare's inspiration and rival. I began a chronology on note cards, quickly moved to Final Draft and titled my play "Young Will Shakespeare."
Lyrics, Music & Recordings
Then I began writing lyrics and was thrilled when Carlos Garza agreed to be my composer. The gods were smiling because this became a joyous collaboration, with Carlos composing the most gorgeous songs and then securing fabulous singers to record them for us. After we had our first 3 songs, we made a video for an Indiegogo fundraiser, whic
Then I began writing lyrics and was thrilled when Carlos Garza agreed to be my composer. The gods were smiling because this became a joyous collaboration, with Carlos composing the most gorgeous songs and then securing fabulous singers to record them for us. After we had our first 3 songs, we made a video for an Indiegogo fundraiser, which you may watch below. At this time, the title of my play changed to "Becoming Shakespeare: Young Will"
See our amazing recording artists below -
Clare Snodgrass, Molly Kay Stanley, David Mecher, Desson Thomson, Christian Douglas, Flo Anito, Angela Watson, Jessica Arcura, Dave Coyne, Brian Lyons-Burke and Carlos Garza.
Fundraising
Fundraising
There were 4 fundraisers in all, including two at the home of Emily Serebryany and Sasha, to celebrate Shakespeare's birthday. These helped purchase recording equipment and pay our singers.
Next stop: EVER WILL's staged readings and full productions at The Long Beach Shakespeare Company!
Our Recording Artists
FULL PRODUCTIONS: Artistic Director Holly Leveque, Stacey Xia-Young Will, Jackson De Lange-Middle Will, Kevin McGrath-Wm Shakespeare
STAGED READINGS & AUDIENCE: Director Bryan Langlitz, Hedy Weatherford & Stefan Grayhek as Anne & Will, Kevin McGrath as William Shakespeare -
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About Composer, Playwright-Lyricist & Executive Producers
Composer Carlos Garza
Our Executive Producers
Pamela Gilbreath Kelly
Composer, arranger and orchestrator, Carlos Garza's life's work is music - beginning as a songwriter and musician with rock bands; performing with Rhythm and Blues, Pop and Jazz groups and then scoring films, including the 1997 award-winning THIRTEEN and three recent features on Prime Video. With his group, Silent Orchestra, Carlos re-sc
Composer, arranger and orchestrator, Carlos Garza's life's work is music - beginning as a songwriter and musician with rock bands; performing with Rhythm and Blues, Pop and Jazz groups and then scoring films, including the 1997 award-winning THIRTEEN and three recent features on Prime Video. With his group, Silent Orchestra, Carlos re-scored 14 classic works of Edgar Allan Poe, which originally accompanied a stage production.
Pamela Gilbreath Kelly
Our Executive Producers
Pamela Gilbreath Kelly
With degrees from Northwestern University and Cal State U in Northridge, and after a storied career as a stage actress, playing Beatrice in "Much Ado About Nothing," Ophelia in "Hamlet," Hermia in "A Midsummer's Night Dream," Julia in "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and other roles; as an acting, voice & speech coach, a public speaking & accent
With degrees from Northwestern University and Cal State U in Northridge, and after a storied career as a stage actress, playing Beatrice in "Much Ado About Nothing," Ophelia in "Hamlet," Hermia in "A Midsummer's Night Dream," Julia in "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and other roles; as an acting, voice & speech coach, a public speaking & accent reduction instructor at UCLA Extension, a corporate consultant & course developer in the US & abroad, and as the author of "Speak with Passion, Speak with Power," Pamela is thrilled to be returning to her roots in the theater with EVER WILL.
Our Executive Producers
Our Executive Producers
Our Executive Producers
Flanked by Emily Serebryany and Firouzeh Banki, Pamela thanks them and Dr. James Dohn, Michael and Johanna Hollowich, Dr. Connie Fischer, Sandford Robbins, Jane Brockman, Ted Graeber, Rudy Vucelich, Rajkumar Rajappan, Gynene Smith, Alex Lombardi, Annie Zuckerman, Lisette Torres, Tiiu Lukk, Kim DeCelles, Richard Kline, Tina Misuraca Coover
Flanked by Emily Serebryany and Firouzeh Banki, Pamela thanks them and Dr. James Dohn, Michael and Johanna Hollowich, Dr. Connie Fischer, Sandford Robbins, Jane Brockman, Ted Graeber, Rudy Vucelich, Rajkumar Rajappan, Gynene Smith, Alex Lombardi, Annie Zuckerman, Lisette Torres, Tiiu Lukk, Kim DeCelles, Richard Kline, Tina Misuraca Coover, Thursa Stair, Diana Thomason, David & Kinga Attias, Seth Kibel, Nick Marconato, Jennifer Boyd, & Erica Parrish, for their generous donations.
"Your support allows us to continue moving forward with this testament to the inspiration that Shakespeare is and to his superpowers of following his star and working hard, consistently and collaboratively to support his family and be a contribution for all time!"
EVER WILL BLOG
The Case of the Missing Memorabilia
It seems odd that our greatest playwright left no memorabilia from his daily life behind, like other writers have done. There are no scribbled or doodled pages, diary entries, to-do lists, love letters, receipts, and certainly no books bearing his signature or notes in the margins. In fact, there are no books at all! After years of researching and thinking about Shakespeare and his life, I have come to an answer to the question of why no memorabilia will ever be found. Shakespeare’s primary purpose, from the time he began being paid for his work, both before and during his time in London, was to support his family in Stratford. Yes, he had a natural gift and passion for acting and writing; but his ambition was in service of this larger purpose. By developing his skills, he became more versatile and popular, more sought after and better able to keep his large family fed and sheltered—his parents, three or four siblings, his wife, and three children. At the Globe, Shakespeare’s calendar was booked 24/7 with learning lines, rehearsing, sometimes directing and performing, researching with borrowed books, writing new plays, and re-writing old plays. He was also a stockholder in charge of box office receipts. Every time the Plague shut theatres down, he earned money writing for patrons and dedicating his works to them. In short, Shakespeare led a hand-to-mouth life, scrimping and saving his earnings to support his family. It paid off, and eventually, he was able to buy them the grandest house in Stratford, in addition to large plots of investment property. This was his big purpose and the reason he left nothing personal from his daily life behind. There was simply nothing left to leave. NEXT: The Case of the Second Best Bed.
