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ELGIN — A world premiere one act play is coming to Elgin — written by local thespian Grant Turner.

As the director of the Opera House Shakespeare Company, it’s no surprise Turner has an interest in Shakespeare, and, by extension, Victorian Shakespearean actors. One of those actors, Junius Booth, ended up leaving England and coming to the United States.

“While Junius Booth was in America, he became the prominent actor of his age, and then he had a son, Edwin Booth, who then became the prominent actor of his age,” Turner said. “It just so happens that the greatest actor of the age had a younger brother who was also an actor, and that younger brother went on to assassinate the president of the United States. That was John Wilkes Booth.”

While John Wilkes Booth would move on into infamy after Lincoln’s assassination, Edwin Booth would go on to take the title role in a highly successful run of Hamlet, performing in 100 performances, setting a record that would last for almost 60 years.

Turner said the dynamic between the brothers Booth fascinated him, especially how, less than a year before those events, both brothers appeared on stage in a benefit production of Julius Caesar to build a statue of Shakespeare in Central Park.

“In that performance, they both are drifting toward their greatest claim to fame,” Turner said.

Turner wrote “The Brothers Booth” to take place in Edwin’s dressing room after that performance with the two brothers talking and allusions to where their lives were headed.

“I worked very hard not to make Edwin a hero, even though I adore him, and I try very hard not to make John Wilkes a villain, even though I abhor him,” Turner said. “It’s a subject matter that means a lot to me.”

Although Turner wrote the play 20 years ago, it was almost lost when his computer broke. He discovered a hard copy a few years ago, and planned to perform the play in 2020. Those plans were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, but the play is finally making it in front of audiences.

In the upcoming performances, Cassandra Johnson is directing, and Liberty O’Dell and Nicholas Vece will play the brothers.

Handing his work over to another director is both exciting and nerve-wracking for Turner, but he said seeing what the team does with it will tell him whether or not “The Brothers Booth” truly works.

Because “The Brothers Booth” is a one-act play that lasts about 40 minutes, Turner is expanding the evening with a partner performance, similar to “The Luck of the Irish” performances in March and April.

The performances also feature “Shakespearean Sonnets,” which will be performed by an all-female cast with sonnets set to original music by Carly Elder.

“Shakespearean Sonnets” will take place in the Hale-Turner Little Theater, which will be transformed to mimic a classic New York late night lounge. There will be a piano in the stage and tables and chairs set in the seating area.

“It’s less a play and more a theatrical experience,” Turner said.

The cast for Shakespearean Sonnets is Bella Estrada, Anne Turner, Caiti Burke, Shahayla Ononaiye and Carly Elder.

“The Brothers Booth” is being performed in the Jewel Theater and “Shakespearean Sonnets” is in the Hale Turner Little Theatre. Both theaters are in the same building, 831 Alder St.

The shows will be performed weekends May 5-21. Evening performances on Fridays and Saturdays begin at 7:30 p.m., and matinee performances on Saturdays and Sundays begin at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets are available at www.elginoperahouse.com.