The Making of Billy Shakespeare 

The Making of Billy Shakespeare began almost two decades ago when Voorhees first sketched out her vision of a modern-day William Shakespeare living in Hollywood. After unsuccessfully shopping her script to studio executives, the script joined the dust bunnies and several other scripts at the bottom of her closet. Other than the occasional friend or family member reading the piece, the script lay dormant until she met Phillip David Collins. He came to her British Literature classroom to document the controversial mural his brother Matt had painted in Voorhees’ classroom before the school board and principal destroyed the work.  After Voorhees learned of Phillip’s interest in filmmaking and acting, she gave him a copy of Billy Shakespeare to consider the role of William Shakespeare, for a stage production of the film. Later the two met at the Alto Café in New Mexico and sketched out on the back of a napkin a plan to film Billy Shakespeare in the most unlikely place, Ruidoso, New Mexico. Neither had a dime to put toward the venture, but with blind faith both jumped off the metaphoric cliff. Calls were put out for potential cast and crew members. Half-way through casting, Phillip decided that the role that stuck out for him was Wilma Hartford, a drag queen and William’s best friend. Phillip had another man in mind for the part of Shakespeare. Initially, Voorhees balked—that is until she met Jason D. Johnson. He wasn’t just an actor fit to play William Shakespeare; he was William Shakespeare. From that moment on nothing could stop the production.