‘Will’ Season 1, Episode 7 Spoilers: Can William Shakespeare Save The Theater?

The theater is devoured by fire in Season 1, episode 7 of “Will.”

According to the synopsis for next week’s episode of the TNT drama, the theater operation is in jeopardy after the fire significantly damaged the playhouse. “We’re closing for good. We’re finished,” James Burbage (Colm Meaney) hopelessly declares in the trailer for the episode.

But William “Will” Shakespeare (Laurie Davidson) isn’t giving up that easy. The synopsis reveals that the playwright enlists the help of a beautiful and talented friend in order to rebuild the theater. While the episode summary keeps the identity of Will’s friend a secret, the promo clip suggests that it is none other than Lady Emilia Bassano (Jasmin Savoy Brown).

READ: 10 facts about William Shakespeare

As revealed in Season 1, episode 6, Lady Emilia is Lord Hunsdon’s new mistress. Her mother is a Moroccan royalty and her father is a Venetian musician. Lady Emilia considers herself a poetess, and it looks like Will will be using her love for words and her connection to London’s upper class to re-establish the theater.

In the trailer for episode 7, Will pays Lady Emilia a visit, and seemingly makes her a deal to have him and the whole theater crew perform a play exclusively for London’s wealthiest people. But will the group’s earnings from that particular performance be enough to reconstruct the destroyed theater?

Also in next week’s episode, Alice Burbage (Olivia DeJonge) turns to Robert Southwell (Max Bennett) for comfort after Will ended his relationship with her.

After Keenan Cooper (Ross Armstrong) called off his impending wedding to Alice, her mother, Ellen Burbage (Nancy Caroll), ordered Will to break up with her daughter once and for all. Ellen pointed out to Will that Alice will have nothing if she continues to be his mistress. “[She will have] no legitimate children, not status, no respect, no family,” Ellen told the playwright. “If you loved her, you’d see that you are destroying her. I do not wish my daughter to suffer but you must be cruel to be kind. If you love her, let her go.”

Shortly after that conversation with Ellen, Will split with Alice in a rather spiteful way. Heartbroken, Alice went to the river banks to weep. There, she met Southwell, who told her that his cousin Will is a “very selfish man.” Is Southwell concerned about Alice? Or is he just planning to use her to finally have Will join his fight?

“Will” Season 1, episode 7, titled “What Dreams May Come,” airs on Monday, Aug. 14 at 11 p.m. EDT on TNT.