Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 UCW 13 SHANE WILSON, Contribut- ing Writer. COMMENTS? Edi- tor@upandcomingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. e curtain has risen on a new season of creative theater from Sweet Tea Shakespeare. First up is Shakespeare's "e Comedy of Er- rors," co-directed by Jeremy Fiebig, Jessica Osnoe and Jennifer Pomme- renke. e production is loaded with talented performances and inspired staging and runs through Sept. 8. e action of "e Comedy of Er- rors" is derived from a classic case of mistaken identity. e play follows the exploits of two sets of twins who were accidentally separated at birth. Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant Dromio of Syracuse travel to Ephesus. Little do they know, Ephesus is the home of their identi- cal twin brothers – Antipholus of Ephesus and Dromio of Ephesus. As the two sets of brothers are identical and answer to the same forename, the stage is set for an incessantly-es- calating series of misunderstandings and hijinks. To divulge much more of the story would cheapen the experi- ence of seeing it play out live. e cast of this show its strength. Here, STS employs cross-gender and cross-race casting to great ef- fect, allowing the production to get the best possible performances out of its talented group of actors and actresses. Antipholus of Syracuse is played by the hysterical Taj Allen, and his identical twin from Ephesus is played by the wonderful Traycie Kuhn-Zapata. Jessica Osnoe and Jen Pommerenke bring their comedic chemistry to the Dromio brothers, while Katherine O'Connell brings Adriana's ever-growing and under- standable confusion to life. e cast is rounded out by an ensemble as good as any ever put up by the company, including strong performances from Laura Voytko, Evan Bridenstine, Jamonte Williams, Linda Flynn, Aaron Alderman, Jer- emy Fiebig and Gabriel Terry. e show starts at 7:30 p.m., but audiences are really missing out on an essential aspect of the Sweet Tea ex- perience if they arrive that late. Each production is preceded by a short show made up of music and sketches featuring the STS house band, the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers. Pre-shows begin around 6:45 p.m. and run until the main play begins. e songs performed are acoustic renditions of recognizable tunes, and the company is stacked with incredibly talented vocalists and musicians. e pre-show is absolutely worth the effort of arriving early. is season promises to be another strong showing from the company. After "e Comedy of Er- rors" closes, look forward to produc- tions of OthelLIT – an adaptation of the classic "Othello," "Behold: A Folk Christmas Cantata," the popular mu- sical "Sweeney Todd," "Maid Mar- ian," "Richard III" and "e Merry Wives of Windsor." STS is one of the hidden gems of Fayetteville, and it is a shame that so many people in our community seem to be unaware of the work being done by this company of artists. Artistic endeavors like those undertaken by Sweet Tea should be celebrated. In Fayetteville, we do not have to travel far to see creative and thoughtful theater. Sometimes, we can find it in our literal backyard. "e Comedy of Errors" contin- ues through Sept. 8 with shows on most evenings during the week held behind the 1897 Poe House down- town. For specific show dates, times and information on discounts and advanced tickets, call 910-420-4383 or visit www.sweetteashakespeare.com. Sweet Tea Shakespeare delivers laughs in 'The Comedy of Errors' by SHANE WILSON North Carolina will cel- ebrate the birthday of Revo- lutionary War hero Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette in Fayetteville Fri- day and Saturday, Sept. 7-8. Fayetteville was the first city in the nation named for the famous Frenchman when the State Assembly com- bined the towns of Cross Creek and Campbellton in 1783. It is the only namesake city Lafayette visited, even though there are scores of cities named for him. Festivities begin Friday evening at 5:30 p.m. with "Arias and Artifacts" in Davis Memorial Library at Method- ist University. Some of the university's collection of unique LaFayette artifacts include ceramic pitchers and bowls, medallions and other items manufac- tured to commemorate the hero's cel- ebrated visit to America in 1824-1825. Curator Arleen Fields will unveil one of the newest acquisitions, an original letter written by Lafayette. "One of my favorites from this collec- tion is a drawer pull that was painted with Lafayette's picture on it," said Dr. Hank Parfitt, Lafayette Society presi- dent. "e artifacts in this collection were manufactured and sold around when Lafayette visited Fayetteville, so people could buy them and have a keepsake to remember when they saw Lafayette – like how we buy T-shirts at a rock concert." e Arias segment of the evening – an hourlong concert featuring vocal and instrumental music by French composers – begins at 7 p.m. in the Hensdale Chapel next door to the library. "is event has become quite popular," said Parfitt. "It includes a wide variety of music and includes many talented musicians." Tickets for the concert are $10 at the door, but reservations are recommend- ed. Advance tickets can be purchased at City Center Gallery & Books at 112 Hay St. in downtown Fayetteville or by calling 910-678-8899. Saturday, the Museum of the Cape Fear celebrates Lafayette's birthday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the Festival of Yesteryear, a day of living history with re-enactors, period crafts and interactive events for the whole family. Children will enjoy coloring and other fun activities at "Camp Lafayette," where at 1 p.m. there will be free birth- day cake and ice cream. City Center Gallery & Books will host Lafayette authors and artists from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday. A large selection of books on Lafayette and the Revolution- ary War will be featured. Artist Caroline Merino will present her new artwork of the Market House with the 1825 Lafay- ette Map as a background. It will go on sale that day for the first time. e weekend celebration will end with Party Like You're in Paris, a wine- tasting party at e Wine Café at 108 Hay St. from 6-8:30 p.m. Guests can sample a variety of French wines, and there will also be small plates of French cheeses available for purchase. Lafayette defied explicit orders of French King Louis XVI, who did not wish to provoke Great Britain. He eluded authorities and sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to assist the rebel- lious Americans in 1777. Although he was only 19, spoke little English and lacked any battle experience, Lafayette convinced the Continental Army to commission him a major general July 31, 1777. During the Battle of Brandywine, near Philadelphia, on Sept. 11, 1777, Lafayette was shot in the calf. Refusing treatment, the military novice man- aged to organize a successful retreat. Following a two-month recuperation, Lafayette was given command over his own division for the first time. As both a friend and a father figure, the commander of the Continental Army, George Washington, held the young Frenchman in high esteem. La- fayette remained at Washington's side during the harsh winter at Valley Forge in 1777 and through the conclusive battle at Yorktown in 1781. Learn more about Lafayette's birth- day celebration by visiting the website www.lafayettesociety.org. Lafayette birthday celebration by JEFF THOMPSON EVENTS "e Comedy of Errors" runs through Sept. 8. Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette JEFF THOMPSON, Senior News Reporter. COMMENTS? news@upandcomingweekly.com. 910-484-6200.