Our aim with the Sonnet Walks was to create a unique, inter-active experience for our audience that re-awakens them to the city they live in and the people around them, as well as presenting Shakespeare’s sonnets in a new light.

The first ever Sonnet Walk NYC took place in Lower Manhattan on Sunday August 19 2007. We hope you were there, but in case you missed it, here is list of the actors that took part, and the sonnets they performed.

Directed by Abigail Anderson.

Produced by Abigail Anderson, Sandra Garner, Caroline Samuels and Rosey Strub.

Daryl Lathon performed Sonnet 145 at Our Lady of Victory.

Those lips that Love’s own hand did make
Breathed forth the sound that said ‘I hate’
To me that languish’d for her sake;
But when she saw my woeful state,
Straight in her heart did mercy come,
Chiding that tongue that ever sweet
Was used in giving gentle doom,
And taught it thus anew to greet:
‘I hate’ she alter’d with an end,
That follow’d it as gentle day
Doth follow night, who like a fiend
From heaven to hell is flown away;
‘I hate’ from hate away she threw,
And saved my life, saying ‘not you.’

Regina Bain performed Sonnet 17 at Delmonico’s

Who will believe my verse in time to come,
If it were fill’d with your most high deserts?
Though yet, heaven knows, it is but as a tomb
Which hides your life and shows not half your parts.
If I could write the beauty of your eyes
And in fresh numbers number all your graces,
The age to come would say ‘This poet lies:
Such heavenly touches ne’er touch’d earthly faces.’
So should my papers yellow’d with their age
Be scorn’d like old men of less truth than tongue,
And your true rights be term’d a poet’s rage
And stretched metre of an antique song:
But were some child of yours alive that time,
You should live twice; in it and in my rhyme.

Matthew Lewis performed Sonnet 138 at Lovelace Tavern.

When my love swears that she is made of truth
I do believe her, though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutor’d youth,
Unlearned in the world’s false subtleties.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false speaking tongue:
On both sides thus is simple truth suppress’d.
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
O, love’s best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in love loves not to have years told:
Therefore I lie with her and she with me,
And in our faults by lies we flatter’d be.

Randall Middleton performed Sonnet 44 at the ITTC Building.

If the dull substance of my flesh were thought,
Injurious distance should not stop my way;
For then despite of space I would be brought,
From limits far remote where thou dost stay.
No matter then although my foot did stand
Upon the farthest earth removed from thee;
For nimble thought can jump both sea and land
As soon as think the place where he would be.
But ah! thought kills me that I am not thought,
To leap large lengths of miles when thou art gone,
But that so much of earth and water wrought
I must attend time’s leisure with my moan,
Receiving nought by elements so slow
But heavy tears, badges of either’s woe.

Claire Winters performed Sonnet 45 at Marketfield Street

The other two, slight air and purging fire,
Are both with thee, wherever I abide;
The first my thought, the other my desire,
These present-absent with swift motion slide.
For when these quicker elements are gone
In tender embassy of love to thee,
My life, being made of four, with two alone
Sinks down to death, oppress’d with melancholy;
Until life’s composition be recured
By those swift messengers return’d from thee,
Who even but now come back again, assured
Of thy fair health, recounting it to me:
This told, I joy; but then no longer glad,
I send them back again and straight grow sad.

Lizzie Goldfarb performed Sonnet 128 at the Bowling Green.

How oft, when thou, my music, music play’st,
Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds
With thy sweet fingers, when thou gently sway’st
The wiry concord that mine ear confounds,
Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap
To kiss the tender inward of thy hand,
Whilst my poor lips, which should that harvest reap,
At the wood’s boldness by thee blushing stand!
To be so tickled, they would change their state
And situation with those dancing chips,
O’er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait,
Making dead wood more blest than living lips.
Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,
Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss.

Brett Marcias performed Sonnet 109 at the Federal Hall.

O, never say that I was false of heart,
Though absence seem’d my flame to qualify.
As easy might I from myself depart
As from my soul, which in thy breast doth lie:
That is my home of love: if I have ranged,
Like him that travels I return again,
Just to the time, not with the time exchanged,
So that myself bring water for my stain.
Never believe, though in my nature reign’d
All frailties that besiege all kinds of blood,
That it could so preposterously be stain’d,
To leave for nothing all thy sum of good;
For nothing this wide universe I call,
Save thou, my rose; in it thou art my all.

Carol Hickey performed Sonnet 30 at John St Chapel.

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time’s waste:
Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow,
For precious friends hid in death’s dateless night,
And weep afresh love’s long since cancell’d woe,
And moan the expense of many a vanish’d sight:
Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o’er
The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.
But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end.

Linked below is a recording of Carol Hickey performing Sonnet 30 for which the setting was composed by Nick Moore

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Amy Ferrante performed Sonnet 143 at the Playground on Fulton Street.

Lo! as a careful housewife runs to catch
One of her feather’d creatures broke away,
Sets down her babe and makes an swift dispatch
In pursuit of the thing she would have stay,
Whilst her neglected child holds her in chase,
Cries to catch her whose busy care is bent
To follow that which flies before her face,
Not prizing her poor infant’s discontent;
So runn’st thou after that which flies from thee,
Whilst I thy babe chase thee afar behind;
But if thou catch thy hope, turn back to me,
And play the mother’s part, kiss me, be kind:
So will I pray that thou mayst have thy ‘Will,’
If thou turn back, and my loud crying still.

Laura Rikard performed Sonnet 29 at Fulton Street Fish Market.

When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state
And trouble deal heaven with my bootless cries
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possess’d,
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remember’d such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

It was fantastic. Impeccably researched, organized, written. The actors were delightful. And creative. New York never looked better. Thank you for a beautiful urban experience!

Jimmy Roberts (New York, NY)

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the first-ever New York Sonnet Walk. The rain and overcast sky added to the romance of the day, and the tour of Lower Manhattan was especially impressive. I have worked downtown since 1994 and am quite familiar with Broad and Pearl Streets, but I had no idea about Lovelace’s Tavern, or the cistern, or that crazy Marketfield St. I was a bit concerned about the actor on that street, but she did have a cell phone…
As soon as I got home I took down my book of sonnets and reread every one.

Abby Spilka (New York, NY)

The Sonnet Walk gets a rave from me! What a delight. The spontaneity and inventiveness of the event along with each actor’s very unique gifts were totally appreciated by our entire group!

Lynne Taylor (Los Angeles, NY)

Thank you so much! You brought a group of people together and turned us into a team – wondering who on the street was the next sonnet-reciting treasure. Very nice way to spend an afternoon, really new and exciting and I hope it continues.

Ishah Faith-Janssen (New York, NY)

Great fun on a drizzly Sunday.

Max Vogler (New York, NY)

Wonderful! The sonnets felt so modern. I almost couldn’t believe they hadn’t been re-written into slam poetry or contemporary monologues. I was also delighted that we got to be exposed to the beauties of the Financial District.

Steve Benathan (Brooklyn, NY)

Great experience: in such gloomy and bleak weather beams of light glowed through the poetry recited by “strangers” on the streets of old NYC. Thank you so much.

Roberto Muzzetta (Milan, Italy)

This was so wonderful and original. I enjoyed it very much. Would love to take my high school students on it!

Carol Palermo (New York, NY)

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I feel utterly refreshed in New York City! Beautifully done, exquisite actors and actresses – a delight, a surprise, and so good to HEAR the words – all of them! BRAVO!!!!!

Sally Eberhardt (New York, NY)

Too delightful. The actors, the direction, the settings: all flawless. Thank you.

Jonathan B Lester (New York, NY)

It felt like we were this small, secret society wandering through an ancient version of New York City that only we could see. I really enjoyed reading the descriptions of the historical buildings and places we walked through. The sonnets were wonderful. It was great to hear poetry spoken on the streets of New York City. It was a magical experience and I hope you repeat it again next summer!

Michelle Marie Elliot (New York, NY)

This was absolutely wonderful. Congratulations on a job well done and count me in for next year.

Briel Steinberg (New York, NY)

Great job! Despite the rain, it was a lot of fun! It was fun walking around and seeing the actors in different places while learning about the area. Thanks for a great time.

Michael Block (Mahwah, NJ)