Shakespeare Lost, Shakespeare Found

SHAKESPEARE LOST, SHAKESPEARE FOUND tells the fascinating story behind the bold 20-year project by world-renowned Shakespeare scholar Dr. Gary Taylor to recreate The History of Cardenio (1613), a lost work written by William Shakespeare and his early collaborator, John Fletcher. Despite its impressive pedigree, The History of Cardenio remains shrouded in mystery because the 400-year-old play did not survive the ravages of time. Dr. Taylor resurrected the original manuscript by de-constructing Double Falsehood, Lewis Theobald’s 1727 adaptation of The History of Cardenio. This process included painstaking research of centuries-old texts and cutting-edge computer microanalysis of each author’s writing styles. The documentary culminates with the first full-scale production of the work at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus, where academics from around the world comment on the play’s authenticity, casting choices, plot additions and controversial ending.