For the third offering of our 2005 summer touring season, we presented a "New Shakespeare comedy" called "Sweet Love, Adieu" written by British playwright, Ryan J-W Smith. This was the first of two modern adapations of Shakespeare elements and conventions d that we ran this summer. Our fifth offering was the comedy-tragedy, "The Sword Politik". "Sweet Love" is set in a timeless period in the kingdom of Lord Edmund and follows loosely the plot of "Romeo and Juliet". WIlliam, a young man is sick and tired of love and his friends Latimer and Ridley try to raise his spirits. The local old Lord Edmund seeks to marry the young and beautiful Anne Beaumont whose marriage is opposed by her mother Mary and by her friends Audrey and Faith. William and his friends gate crash a masquerade party where William falls in love with Anne. William and Anne then try to get to each other to live happily ever after and along the way fight the overzealous servant Sydney, seek the help of the local friar, cross dress and sneak their way to romantic happiness. Written entirely in Shakespearean poetic style (5-beat blank verse), the show spoofs and celebrates many of the bard's conventions
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Latimer (Matt Semrick, left) and Ridley (Kellis Carroll, right) playfully jest with their swords as they discuss the doings of their love sick comrade William (Clay Cockrell) as he lays in front of them. The boys eventually convice William to attend a masquerade party being thrown by Lord Edmund..
Sinatra Park, Hoboken, NJ
The overbearing Lord Edmund (Daryl Brown) continually plies the young Anne Beaumont (Zoe Frazer) with gifts in attempts to woo her into marrage and get her late father's estate. Anne remains ever vigilent refusing his advances but she and her mother are kept underfoor by Edmund and slimy servant Sydney (Brian Cheng)
On the evening of the masquerade party, Anne (Zoe Frazer) receives a silver lining in the form of the handsome stranger William (Clay Cockrell). Above, their meeting is facilitated by her friends Audrey (Erinn Holmes, left) and Faith (Rebecca Lynne David). Sinatra Park, Hoboken, NJ
William (Clay Cockrell) is discovered by the slimy servant and poor swordsmen Sydney (Brian Cheng) but William quickly escapes when supposedly slays Sydney. Sinatra Park, Hoboken, NJ
Audrey (Erinn Holmes) and Faith (Rebecca Lynne David) arrive to tell William that Anne has refused to pursue their new love because Lord Edmund has imprisoned her and her mother. Above Ridley (Kellis Carroll, left) and Latimer (Matt Semrick) listen to the story and hatch a plot to rescue Anne.
William (Clay Cockrell) seeks the help of the local Friar (Aaron C. Brown) to free Anne and stop her from marrying Lord Edmund. Pier A Park, Hoboken, NJ
Latimer (Matt Semrick) changes plances and clothes with Anne as she escapes Lord Emund's palace disguised as a man. However, Latimer gets more than he bargained for as the clueless Syndey arrives to seduce who he thinks is Anne. Pier A Park, Hoboken, NJ
Lord Edmund (Darryl Brown) seeks to get Anne's estate by a sneaky legal manouver. Above, he secretly meets the Friar (Aaron C. Brown) who is disguised as a corrupt Magistrate. The Friar, er magistrate makes brings a contrac for Edmund to sign. While Edmund thinks that he's signign a contrat giving him control over Anne's estate, he actually sings a contract which marries her to William. Pier A Park, Hoboken, NJ
To trick Edmund further, the Friar gives Anne a sleeping potion to fake her death. Above her mother Mary (Leslie C. Nemet) and friends Audrey (Erinn Holmes) and Faith (Rebecca Lynne David) mourn her "death". Shipyard Park, Hoboken, NJ
The Friar (Aaron C. Brown) reveals all in the final scene: Anne to be alive and married to William. Lord Edmund frustatingly relents. Shipyard Park, Hoboken, NJ
