Penniless and indebted to two demanding producers, struggling young playwright William Shakespeare is tormented by writer�s block until he meets the beautiful Viola de Lesseps, daughter of a wealthy merchant, whose fiery passion for poetry and drama leaves her secretly longing to be an actor. Both are despondent when they learn that Viola�s father has promised her to the stuffy Lord Wessex in order to gain a title for their family. Under the veil of secrecy, Will and Viola�s passionate love affair becomes the basis of the very play he is writing � Romeo and Juliet. With opening night � and the wedding day � fast approaching, the plots race toward a parallel conclusion. Will it all work out in the end or are the two star-crossed lovers destined for tragedy?