The Brick Store Museum announced it will host a new original play, written by the museum’s 2024 artist-in-residence Diane Lent, called Resonance of Passion: From Battlefield to the Sea. Lent used collections of letters between husbands and wives in the 19th century, now housed in the museum’s archives, to bring the play to life. The play will premiere during the museum’s 10th annual Southern Maine Steampunk Fair on Saturday, Sept. 21, beginning at 11 a.m.

Patrons, according to a press release, will “experience the powerful drama and emotional depth of Resonance of Passion: From Battlefield to the Sea — a compelling double bill of plays that brings to life the extraordinary stories of two Kennebunk women navigating love, loyalty, and personal turmoil in the 19th century.”

In the first play, Waves of Betrayal, centers on the turbulent life of a sea captain’s wife whose forbidden affair unfolds against the backdrop of the open ocean, challenging the boundaries of fidelity and desire. This is the first time this story has ever been told outside of the museum’s archives. The play includes adult content and may not be suitable for younger audiences.

The second play, Echoes of the Heart, follows the poignant journey of a wife who faces the trials of the Civil War while struggling to keep her family united amidst the chaos.

Citing primary source letters from the collection of the Brick Store Museum, the narratives explore the complexities of human emotion and the resilience of women in vastly different yet equally intense circumstances. Tickets for the play are included in the Steampunk Fair admission – $10 per person, $5 for museum members. The one-hour play will run twice during the event, with playtimes at 11:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.

The event is sponsored by MM Total Bookkeeping and Saco & Biddeford Institution for Savings. For more information and purchase tickets, visit www.brickstoremuseum.org/calendar.