Who Was William Shakespeare?By: Celeste Mannis, Who HQ Illustrator: John O'Brien Series: Who Was? The beloved plays of Shakespeare are still produced everywhere, yet the life of the world's most famous playwright remains largely a mystery. Young Will left the town of Stratford to pursue theater in London, where his work eventually thrived and made him a famous and wealthy man. With black and white illustrations that include a diagram of the famous Globe theater, Celeste Davidson