Original Creative Team

Rick Bingen - Playwright
“Whirligig of Time was born from my love of time travel and my fascination with the mythology of events that took place in London over the Christmas of 1598. These events always seemed so crazy to me and yet many people have no idea it happened, even though Shakespeare himself was involved. I decided this is where I would frame my play. When I write a play today, a first draft takes me less than a month, but this was one of my first plays and it took me many years. In that time the play took many forms before becoming what it is today. The story was always about grief and resilience, but the location and characters varied throughout the process. As I wrote I realized there was a lot of similarities between the play and some themes found within Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, however the title of the play did not come to me until the staged reading actor playing The Drunk, which at that time was just incoherent mumbling, spun around giggling about the whirligig of time. A perfect name for a time travel adventure starring a grieving Olivia. As you watch the play, I hope you will feel the coziness and warmth of this little tavern, protecting all from the cold and darkness of the world outside its walls. If Whirligig of Time intrigues you, you can help an early-career playwright by viewing my other plays on my website: rickbingen.com.”