Equivocation

When: Sundays, 2 p.m. and Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Continues through Oct. 6 2019

Scholars have long found links between the Catholic plot to blow up the British Parliament and newly-crowned King James and William Shakespeare's Macbeth. In the thriller Equivocation, playwright Bill Cain weaves together these connections to tell the story of William Shakespeare's desperate attempt to write a history play about that plot at King James' request. Cain's Shakespeare has a guilty conscience, as his family has various connections to the plotters. James wants the truth as James sees it, which only complicates matters. Can the playwright bend the "official" truth enough to defend his family name while also flattering the king? West End Players Guild opens its new season with Equivocation. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Union Avenue Christian Church (733 North Union Boulevard; www.westendplayers.org). Tickets are $20 to $25.

— Paul Friswold