DARK LADY
THE
Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness
What a tangled web
we weave. Unsex me here. I am not what I am.
THE STORY
The year is 1588.
​
Emilia Bassano is crafting some of the most remarkable stories the world will see.
​
But women are not permitted to write plays, and so theatre’s greatest characters stand to be lost in the abyss…
Until a deal is struck, with the stableboy William Shakespeare…
​
~~~~​​​
“The Dark Lady” is an audacious new musical fusing synth-pop with classical, historical fact with speculation. The show depicts the ‘what-if’ scenario whereby Bassano is the true author of Shakespeare’s works.
"PLAY ON"
"Gleefully subversive and joyful, with
effervescent wit and a rousing score."
- Eugene O'Neill Artistic Team
DEVELOPMENT
& ACCOLADES
2025
Dramatist Guild Fellowship 1 Year Development Program
​
2025
Manhattan School of Music Workshop
​
2025
LAMDA New Works Program Workshop
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2025
Circle in the Square New Works Finalist
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2024
Goodspeed Musicals, Johnny Mercer Writers Grove, Writing Residency
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2024
South Carolina New Works Festival, 29 hour reading
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2024
MT West New Works Program, 29 hour reading
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2024
Playbill Songwriter Series Feature
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2024
Syracuse New Works New Voices Finalist​
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2023
Eugene O'Neill National MT Conference Winner + 60 Hour Workshop
"WHAT'S IN A NAME?"
Historians agree that Bassano and Shakespeare were lovers, and that she was the subject of his Dark Lady sonnets.
Some speculate that he plagiarized her works.
But this show depicts an extraordinary woman taking matters into her own hands; convincing Shakespeare to be her co-conspirator in order to have her voice heard.
It’s a show that aims to challenge audience perspectives on success; ultimately it is not how we are known, but what we do, that matters.
"I HAVE STORIES TO TELL."
(THE WRITERS)
Veronica Mansour
(Music / Story)
Based in NYC and LA, Veronica has most recently been honoured as recipient of the Jonathan Larson Grant, Richard Rodgers Award, Dramatist Guild Fellowship, and as one of four writers selected for the DreamWorks Theatricals, MTI & NBCUniversal Emerging Writers Program. Veronica is also a Marvin Hamlisch
International Music Award Nominee, Write
Out Loud Contest winner and two time Winner of the Eugene O'Neill National Music Theatre Conference. Veronica is an accomplished cellist and vocalist, having performed with and for many artists such as Kristin Chenoweth, Todd Rundgren, Chloe Agnew, and Philip Glass before pursuing her MFA in Graduate Musical Theatre Writing at NYU.
Instagram: @veronicamansourr
Sophie Boyce
(Book / Lyrics / Story)
Based in NYC and London, Sophie has most recently been honoured as a Dramatist Guild Fellow, Winner of the Eugene O’Neill National Musical Theatre Conference, Finalist for the Kleban Prize for Lyricism, Stiles & Drewe Best New Song Award, Write Out Loud and ‘Best of the Fest’ at the New York Theatre Festival. Sophie has an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU and is alum of the BMI Bookwriters Workshop. Prior to her move to theatre, Sophie was a member of the Writers Room for the UK television series, ‘Skins’, as well as Founder/Director of the acclaimed UK Musical Theatre Program, Spirit YPC, which under her direction has attracted over 150 million online viewers to their online performance videos.
Instagram: @sophieboyce
