The Pop Theatre Company is proud to announce our return to the magical world of Fastersille this August 31st with the dynamic reading of T.W. Steward’s newest play Sword-Play: The Bladesmen of Pyrus Prii, as a part of MythicFest.
The anthology sequel to T.W. Steward’s In Another Life takes place 2,000 years after its events and follows Prince Leval of Pyrus in his quest for justice after his older brother Dantimere makes a move for the throne of Pyrus through assassination, misinformation, fratricide, and regicide.
Sword-Play may be a sequel, but its story is an anthology and thus can be enjoyed with zero knowledge of the other installments in The Epic of Fastersille.
Sword-Play: The Bladesmen of Pyrus Prii will be the second installment in The Epic of Fastersille, which playwright T.W. Steward describes as if you took the movie Gladiator, mashed it with Game of Thrones, and put it on stage. The idea for Sword-Play, in particular, was twofold in its inception. First, T.W. wanted to write a play that discussed fate, greed, and how religion could rip apart a family on a grand epic scale, reminiscent of classic tragedies such as Le Mort d’Arthur and Macbeth. Second, Thomas wanted to play with a classic idea from musical theater. In musical theater, when a character is faced with extreme emotion, they sing, moving the plot forward through music. When Thomas wrote Sword-Play, he wanted to use that basic tenet, replacing music with stage combat. Thomas hopes these differences of style offer a unique, theatrical experience, almost akin to watching a modern action movie, but with the moving political commentary and poetic speech best conveyed on the stage.
If you are interested in watching “In Another Life: Book I in the Epic of Fastersille”, it is available on YouTube using the link below: