Margaret Shakespeare, age 13, must write her remarkable plays in secret: it is 1577, and a girl who can read and write is in danger from the witch-hunters. After all, as her father keeps reminding her, a woman's place is in the home...next to a big pile of laundry. Once the sweet but dim William discovers his sister's astonishing talent, a chain of events is set in motion that will change both their lives forever. What happens to women of genius in a world that wants only their silence? Can a sister's determination — and a brother's unfailing love — really conquer all? Seamlessly translated from the original French by Leanna Brodie, this strikingly original play with music tackles the big feminist questions with wit, heart, and infectious energy. Winner of Quebec's prestigious Prix de la critique and Prix Louise-Lahaye, Rébecca Déraspe's I Am William has toured France, Spain, and the province of Quebec to great acclaim. This English version, commissioned by Theatre Le Clou, was also a hit at the Stratford Festival.

Rébecca Déraspe graduated from the playwriting program of the National Theatre School of Canada in May 2010. She is the author of several plays which have been translated and produced internationally, including Deux ans de votre vie (English title: You Are Happy); Gamètes (English title: Gametes); Je suis William (English title: I Am William); Faire la leçon (English title: The Lessons); Plus que toi; Peau d'ours; Nino; Le merveilleux voyage de Réal de Montréal; Partout ailleurs; Nos petits doigts; Ceux qui se sont évaporés; and Fanny. She is currently Playwright-in-Residence at Montreal's Théâtre la Licorne. Her work has been awarded the 2010 Prix BMO (for You Are Happy); the 2017 Montreal theatre critics' prize for Best New Play (Gametes); the 2018 Montreal theatre critics' prize for Best New Play for Young Audiences as well as the Prix Louise-Lahaye (I Am William); and most recently, the Prix Michel-Tremblay, for her new play Ceux qui se sont évaporés. She is also the writer and host of the web series Le lexique de la polâmique, produced and distributed by Savoir Media.

Rébecca Déraspe's profile page

Leanna Brodie is an actor, writer and translator. Her plays (published by Talonbooks) include For Home and Country, The Vic and Schoolhouse, as well as CBC radio dramas Invisible City and Seeds of Our Destruction. She was the first Canadian invited to the ACT/Hedgebrook Women Playwrights’ Festival. She also translates Quebec drama into English—most recently, Louise Bombardier’s Ma mère chien and Hélène Ducharme’s Baobab. Her libretti were heard in Tapestry New Opera Works’ Opera to Go 2008; in David Ogborn’s acclaimed site-specific piece, Opera on the Rocks; and in Emergence, his song cycle featuring a singing robot. The Angle of Reflection, with New Zealand composer Anthony Young, was produced by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. This season, The Book of Esther, a love story about urban queers and rural evangelicals, premieres at the Blyth Festival. Schoolhouse has been seen by over 20, 000 Canadians in multiple sold-out runs, and is slated for further productions in 2010.

Leanna Brodie's profile page

• Winner, Prix Louise-LaHaye for Best Text for Young Audiences
• Winner, AQCT's Best Play for Young Audiences

"CRITIC'S PICK: Fresh and delightful." — Kelly Nestruck, Globe and Mail

"A clever, funny, and thoughtful family-friendly production that is sure to have theatre-goers of all ages engaging in meaningful conversations one minute, while singing a catchy 'horse' song to themselves the next." — BroadwayWorld.com

"I Am William radiates both charm and substance...Déraspe's clever faux-Shakespeare could be the real thing in terms of rhythm and rhyme, and I stand in awe of the playwright's long-time translator, Leanna Brodie, who rendered the lines into Shakespearean English." — Paula Citron, ludwig-van.com

"Rébecca Déraspe has written a wonderful play in I Am William and it is beautifully translated by Leanna Brodie. The language dazzles. At times it seems we are witnessing linguistic gymnastics on the level of Simone Biles — words and syllables rhyme in triplicate. Women and girls are championed and credited with creativity and tenacity at a time when both were dangerous." — The Slotkin Letter

"Balances lighthearted comedy with heartfelt emotion to explore themes of gender equality and societal oppression...If younger audience members can take just one lesson from I Am William, it's this: true talent comes in all forms, sizes, genders and races." —London Free Press

"The young protagonists of I Am William explicitly aspire to the total emancipation of girls and boys from our gendered expectations of them. A text as playful as it is intelligent, and as sensitive as it is politically engaged. Its sense of humour, among other things, ensures that the script never veers into the didactic, much less into moralizing. — JEU magazine

"Rébecca Déraspe offers us a brilliant text, blending truth and fiction in order to speak of love and the power of dreams. — montheatre.qc.ca

"An inspiring play for all ages." — Huffington Post