The Shakespeare Stealer

Chapter 22 opens with Widge, assuming that Nick is dead, beating the ale house patron with a stool. Widge then attempts to bandage Nick’s wound, stopping the flow of blood until Nick is taken to a hospital by the authorities. When Sander asks Widge why he intervened, Widge says that Nick is “a part of the family” and would have done the same for him (168).

With Nick in recovery, the company is now down another player for their upcoming Whitehall performance. Although Julia participated in a few performances after her secret was revealed, she is forbidden from performing at Whitehall. Widge explains this double standard, stating, “Even if we could have carried the deceit off successfully at the Globe, we dared not risk it under the very nose of the queen” (174). Julia stays on to assist the players backstage, and she offers to help Widge practice the role of Ophelia when Mr. Heminges reassigns it to him.

Widge continues to prepare for the Whitehall performance. Julia coaches him on her old role and helps him practice his lines. Though Julia tries to be chipper, Widge knows that she is distraught about losing her part. He resolves to put everything he can into his performance in order to make her proud. On the night of the dress rehearsal, however, everything that can go wrong seems to. He bumps into other players, bumbles around the stage, and forgets his lines. Widge is discouraged, but Mr. Armin assures him that “a bad rehearsal means a good performance” (178). Sure enough, on the night of the real performance, everything goes well for the company.

When Widge meets the queen after the performance, she questions what type of name “Widge” is. He explains that it is “a sort of nickname” (182). When the queen inquires after his given name, he tells her that he does not know it. She replies, “Well, Widge, if you go on performing as admirably as you did for us, you’ll make a name for yourself” (182). Inspired by this conversation, Widge decides to adopt the name “Pedringano” (182).

This chapter opens with Mr. Heminges offering Julia a job as ticket-seller at one of the theatre entrances. Julia “behaved as though she’d been offered a job as a dung collector” and declined the position (184). However, realizing that she must make a living somehow now that she cannot act on the stage, Julia finally accepts the job but quits after one week. Mr. Phillips tells Widge that Julia “had disappeared sometime during the night, taking the few articles of women’s clothing that she owned, and leaving behind all her boy’s garb” (185).

With the company still short a player after the loss of Julia, Widge and Sander are again sent to find Nick, who has recovered from his stabbing. When the two boys locate Nick, he is sitting with Falconer in one of the ale houses. Widge slowly backs out of the tavern to avoid being spotted, but then he has to explain his behavior to Sander. He finally confides in Sander the real reason why he joined the Lord Chamberlain’s Men: to steal Hamlet. Sander keeps the information to himself for the time being. However, he makes it clear to Widge that they will have to let the rest of the company know since it seems apparent that Nick is now in collusion with Falconer as well.

The next day, as he finishes costuming in the tiring room, Widge notices that the property room door is closed. To give players easy access to props and other items, the standard protocol in the company is to leave the property room open during performances. Widge enters the room and discovers Nick stealing the playbook.