The Playmaker Novel Study
In LA right now, we are working on a book called The Playmaker by J. B. Cheaney. It takes place in Elizabethan-era England. England at this time had been going through a very turbulent time, characterized by a vigorous religious reformation. This had roots in the days of Elizabeth's father, King Henry VIII. Desperate for a son to inherit the throne after him, Henry broke with the Catholic Church after the Pope refused to allow him to annul his marriage with his wife. This started the Protestant Reformation in England. Catholics were persecuted by Henry and his son Edward, but after Edward's death, Henry VIII's daughter Mary took the throne. A devout Catholic, she burned dozens of Protestants at the stake for "heresy". But this changed when she died childless and Elizabeth took the throne. She returned the state religion to Anglicanism, or Protestantism, and throughout much of her reign, Catholics were persecuted and shunned. This religious conflict is a main backdrop for the novel, and, as well, friction with Spain characterized the era. The novel takes place in London. At that time, London was one of the largest cities in Europe. Loud, bad-smelling, and full of a great variety of people, the vibrant town was the center of English life.
The protagonist of the book, fourteen-year-old Richard Malory, comes to London after his mother's death. Leaving his twin sister Susanna behind as housekeeper to Sir John, who had employed Richard for many years, he came to London for quite a few reasons. He had to find work to support himself and possibly help Susanna. Then, his father had abandoned the family when Richard was four years old. Richard hoped to find him and learn about him, with the help of two people whose names his mother had given him before she died: Martin Feather, a law clerk associated with her husband, and Anne Billings, the name of Richard's aunt, his father's sister. However, when Richard arrived in London, he received mysterious warnings not to go near Martin Feather, and his meeting with his aunt was a complete disaster. After a few weeks, Richard was robbed at knifepoint. Unknown strangers had left his money intact but taken his wallet, which held important personal documents and a rubbing taken from a mysterious medal his father had worn before he left. Uncertain of the cause of the attack and in an attempt to keep himself safe, Richard joined a troupe of actors, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. Trying to become accepted in the company and find his niche as an actor, Richard also works with a new friend, a housemaid at the house of the people he is boarding with, named Starling Shaw, to unravel the mysteries surrounding him.
The protagonist of the book, fourteen-year-old Richard Malory, comes to London after his mother's death. Leaving his twin sister Susanna behind as housekeeper to Sir John, who had employed Richard for many years, he came to London for quite a few reasons. He had to find work to support himself and possibly help Susanna. Then, his father had abandoned the family when Richard was four years old. Richard hoped to find him and learn about him, with the help of two people whose names his mother had given him before she died: Martin Feather, a law clerk associated with her husband, and Anne Billings, the name of Richard's aunt, his father's sister. However, when Richard arrived in London, he received mysterious warnings not to go near Martin Feather, and his meeting with his aunt was a complete disaster. After a few weeks, Richard was robbed at knifepoint. Unknown strangers had left his money intact but taken his wallet, which held important personal documents and a rubbing taken from a mysterious medal his father had worn before he left. Uncertain of the cause of the attack and in an attempt to keep himself safe, Richard joined a troupe of actors, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. Trying to become accepted in the company and find his niche as an actor, Richard also works with a new friend, a housemaid at the house of the people he is boarding with, named Starling Shaw, to unravel the mysteries surrounding him.