Zoom Performance Archives - Sweet Tea Shakespeare

By Thomas Dekker and Thomas Middleton

What is an only child to do when their wealthy father won’t allow them to marry the woman they love? Provide the father with a “less desirable” option, of course. What follows is an intricate and questionable plan to feign love for the notorious gender non-conforming, outspoken, fighting, “thief”: Moll, the “roaring girl.” With the help of some scheming, a bit of absurdity, and Moll’s steadfast good heart, townsfolk, and aristocrats alike begin to challenge, question, and confront the gender roles of their society, and the assumptions that come with them. Originally printed in 1611, this modern adaptation of Middleton and Dekker’s comedy features a cast of actors and artists, all of underrepresented genders, from all over the country, coming together to bring to life this hilarious clash of strong-willed characters.

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The Roaring Girl

August 10, 2021

By William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night is a fast-paced romantic comedy with several interwoven plots of romance, mistaken identities and practical jokes. Separated from her twin brother Sebastian in a shipwreck, Viola disguises herself as a boy and becomes a servant to the Duke Orsino. He sends her to woo the Countess Olivia on his behalf, but the Countess falls in love with the disguised Viola instead. More chaos and comedy ensue between Olivia’s drunk uncle and more confusion when Viola’s twin brother turns up.

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Twelfth Night

August 9, 2021

Director: Deon Releford-Lee

Miranda watches from the shore of an island where she lives with her father, Prospero, as a ship is wrecked in a terrible storm. Twelve years earlier, Miranda and her father were also shipwrecked on the island. Miranda is afraid for the voyagers. But Prospero assures her they are safe—the storm and the wreck were no accident. Created by Prospero’s spirit-servant Ariel, under the magic art of Prospero, the wrecked boat carries Alonso King of Naples and his son Ferdinand, along with Antonio (Miranda’s uncle and Prospero’s treacherous brother) and other nobles, many of whom were responsible for Miranda and Prospero’s being put out to sea all those years ago. Prospero now holds power over them, and he plans to exact revenge.

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The Tempest

July 28, 2021

By William Congreve

Before becoming the most celebrated playwright of the Restoration, William Congreve was a law school dropout with a razor-sharp wit. At the age of twenty-one, he penned his first play, which took London by storm and changed English drama forever. Two young rakes go head-to-head with two brilliant heiresses, an aging libertine struggles to reform his ways, and a new mode of comedy is born. Recorded on Zoom in a single afternoon, this one-shot table read of William Congreve’s THE OLD BACHELOR features actors from across North America.

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The Old Bachelor

July 20, 2021

By William Shakespeare

A fragile house of cards is built as Bassanio borrows money from his friend, Antonio, the Merchant of Venice, to (of course) woo a wealthy and beautiful young woman. Antonio’s own money is tied up in business ventures that depend on the safe return of his ships from sea, so he borrows the money from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender Antonio has previously offended, who lends the money against a bond. Failure to repay the loan on the agreed date will entitle Shylock to a pound of Antonio’s flesh. What could go wrong? Everything, of course!

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The Merchant of Venice

July 9, 2021

By William Congreve

Mellefont and Cynthia love each other. Their families approve of the match. The wedding is in fourteen hours. What could possibly go wrong? Everything, if Mellefont’s scheming aunt, Lady Touchwood, and her duplicitous lover Maskwell have their way. In one fateful evening, a gallery in the Touchwood mansion becomes the stage for William Congreve’s delicious satire of marriage, sex, and money.

Recorded on Zoom in a single afternoon, this one-shot table read of THE DOUBLE DEALER features actors from across North America.

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The Double Dealer

June 28, 2021