Elizabeth Rex at Oak Park Festival Theatre

The Earl of Essex, Elizabeth I's favorite and her rumored lover, has been found guilty of treason and is scheduled to be executed in the morning. Seeking distraction, the troubled queen visits the stables where Shakespeare and his players are lodged for the night after a court performance of Much Ado About Nothing. Here she meets Ned, the man who plays Shakespeare's greatest leading ladies, and a force who might prove to be a greater danger to her than Essex ever was. As more than one life hangs in the balance before the dawn, Elizabeth wrestles with the duality of her nature. Can she ever truly be a woman and rule England as a prince? Must she always deny her emotions and her very essence to keep and protect her country?