Since April 2006, and continuing through April, a huge festival has been taking place at Stratford-upon-Avon, England, honoring Shakespeare’s birthday. During this celebration, the Royal Shakespeare Co. has peformed every single one of Shakespeare’s works.

As part of the festivites, a competition was held for playwrights to create new plays in response to Shakespeare’s works. Several productions have resulted from this competition, including Roy Williams’ “Days of Significance,” which the RSC is preparing to perform at Davidson College this weekend.

“Days of Significance” is loosely a response to “Much Ado About Nothing.” But where “Much Ado” is about returning from war, “Days” is about men leaving for war and the lives of those left behind.

The production includes actors from “Pericles” and “The Winter’s Tale” company, and follows two young soldiers during their tour of duty in Iraq. The play opens with the night before the two men leave for Iraq, and follows them through Iraq to explore how their relationships with the loved ones they’ve left back home affect their actions in battle, and analyze how their Western concepts of morality are challenged.

This play, particularly significant for today’s society, will be on stage at Duke Family Performance Hall this Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Friday at 1:30 p.m. Community members are encouraged to attend the Friday matinee, which still has tickets available.

The Davidson College website warns that the play is unsuitable for children under 18.

For more information, visit the Davidson College Website, CLICK HERE>

Listen to an interview with playwright Roy Williams on WDAV-FM’s website, CLICK HERE>