Ulysses S. Grant and Mark Twain will soon make an appearance in Haddonfield. Local historical actors will take attendees back to a turbulent time in American history spanning the Civil War and its aftermath in “The Sword and the Pen.” Grant, Abraham Lincoln’s mighty right arm, played by Rick Gross, and Twain, America’s powerful conscience, played by Richard A. Bonnette, will lecture, read and pontificate from a perspective that only they could have. Laughter and tears should be expected.
The performance will presented by Bonnette and Gross at 7 p.m. on June 19 and 20 with a Sunday matinee on June 21 at 2 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church, located at 19 Kings Highway East. Tickets are $20, and proceeds benefit Grace Episcopal Church as well as the Haddonfield Public Library.
“We’re thrilled that this American history play will be a fundraising benefit for us and the church. Bonnette is a fine actor and community patron. I’m looking forward to it very much. I’m looking forward to learn more and the humor of it,” library director Susan Briant said.
“If you like to laugh, come on out. There is enough good humor to make it an enjoyable evening and enough serious content to make it a meaningful one,” Bonnette said.
The idea for the play came from Bonnette wanting to help the library in some way for awhile now. With the library renovations coming up, this seemed like the perfect opportunity for Bonnette to put his reenacting skills and his desire to help the library to good use.
Bonnette, reenacting as Twain for 15 years, and Gross have wanted to act together for a while, so when this opportunity came about, they worked together to come up with something. As Gross read about Grant, he and Bonnette decided to combine Twain and Grant’s story of friendship in this original piece “The Sword and the Pen.”
This performance, not quite a play, will be performed as Twain used to perform his lectures and presentations in the 1800s. There will be lectures, dialogue and interaction between the two characters that Bonnette said will be humorous at points and touching at others.
“You’ll be an audience member in 1885, transported back to the Gilded Age and walk through the history of these two. There will be lecturing, reading and discussing, and there is a play hidden within the whole thing. There will be laughs, and if we do it right, emotional moments, too,” Bonnette said.
“It will be interesting to see these people as they lived and interacted, not just as a general or author. I’m looking forward to that,” said Briant, a self-proclaimed history buff.
The content is suitable for family audiences. History buffs will especially enjoy the performance.
“It appeals to everybody. It is a fun way to learn about Mark Twain … and history with our greatest Americans. It is a family opportunity to have fun, laugh and learn,” Briant said.
Bonnette hopes attendees gain a better knowledge and understanding of Grant and Twain, who are many times misunderstood. Briant hopes those who attend walk away wanting to learn more about American history.
Tickets are $20 and are available at the new Library Annex at 123 Kings Highway East, and at Grace Episcopal Church, payable by cash or checks. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.gracehaddon.org or bought at the door.
