Tina Packer’s tour de force WOMEN OF WILL : THE OVERVIEW  is now playing at the Central Square Theater presented by The Nora Theatre Company! “WOMEN OF WILL.” is an exploration of Shakespeare’s art and psyche through his female characters, from Juliet to Lear’s daughters. The title itself cuts many ways (women of “Will” Shakespeare, “willful” women, and “will” as Tina informs us, also meant “sex”) and this is Packer’s masterwork, the product of decades of performance and analysis.

The premise is illuminating, and the format– part lecture/ part performance–also features the gifted Nigel Gore who joins Packer on a practically bare stage in the round; with nothing but a few props, the odd costume, soundscape and nimble lighting, the two conjure up quite a bit of the bard’s heat and light. It’s an unusual lens on the work that reveals yet another facet of Shakespeare’s prismatic genius.

But the night I saw it Packer –the wonderfully talented actress, teacher, artistic director and authority on Shakespeare– seemed rushed and ragged. She and Gore looked as though they had perhaps done this one too many times. The evening felt arduous. That said, WOMEN OF WILL is definitely worth seeing, for its fresh insight in the hands of two masters.

See WOMEN OF WILL: THE OVERVIEW through November 6; THE OVERVIEW is part of a larger work THE COMPLETE JOURNEY which will be featured on the last weekend. THE COMPLETE JOURNEY  is the full five part series of this feminine exploration over one intensive weekend, Nov 4-6.