The Bones of William Shakespeare

Written for a teen audience, The Bones of William Shakespeare is a play that tells the story of Harriet, a young girl whose loss of her father, and her mother’s desire to remarry, forces her on a delusional path of madness and revenge -- a journey through her own twisted version of Hamlet. Harriet soon realizes that perhaps all the people in her life fit into the characters of the famous Shakespearian tragedy, including herself, and that without some kind of original action from her, the end result of her story could be as tragic as Hamlet’s.

The play cleverly intertwines contemporary dialogue with Shakespearean text, and deals with the loss of a loved one, and the importance of embracing the creative spirit.

Project Development Timeline

May 2002 Tom Carson begins work on “The Bones of William Shakespeare”.
June 2002 Bones receives a development grant from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Quebec.
December 2002 Tom Carson partners with designer Jennifer Triemstra to form Quibble Company, which takes on the development of the project. The Project receives a reading in Toronto.
January 2003 A ten-day workshop is held in Montreal.
September 2004 Bones receives further development funding from The Canada Council for the Arts and The Laidlaw Foundation.
October 2004 Tom Carson begins extensive work with dramaturge Brian Quirt to advance the script.
November 2004 A one day workshop takes place in Toronto.
February 2005 A three-day workshop takes place in Toronto.
May 2005 A one day workshop takes place in Toronto.
June 2005 A three day workshop and reading takes place in Toronto at The Buttery Room of the George Ignatieff Theatre.

The Development of The Bones of William Shakespeare
has been made possible by: