The Collaborative Playwrighting

Card Game

You are a playwright in the Elizabethan period and Mr. Phillip Henslowe has commissioned you to write a new play! As you leave Mr. Henslowe’s office, you are assaulted by the sounds and smells of early modern London. You clutch the 3 pence advance to your chest as you contemplate filling your empty belly...

Then you remember the agreement, a finished play in less than a four weeks! You’ll need to get help, split the load, share the pay. You aren’t the only playwright looking to make their way.

Collaborators could make this job possible, but more bards means more bother. Some of your compatriots thrive in collaboration, but others may prioritize their own worth over the group, or worse, actively work against the rest.

Difficulties be damned, Henslowe set the timeframe, and you’ll be cursed if he starts lumping you in with that lay-about Daborne! You need to get started, recruit your fellows, find your inspiration, and complete your masterpiece, before time runs out!

Emblems as Themes

During Shakespeare's time, Emblems were used as a type of visual shorthand, often representing ideas or stories that the average audience member would recognize. Books cataloguing these emblems were called Emblematicas and contained hundreds of woodcuttings and cryptics.

Writing with Shakespeare uses six of these Emblems to represent the various themes that were of interest to early modern audiences.

Trust
Status
Friendship Emblem
Femininity Emblem
Greed Emblem