Laura Rocklyn, dressed as Abigail Adams, sits at a desk, writing with a quill pen
Abigail Smith Adams: Love & Politics in the American Revolution
July 23, 2026 at 7 p.m.
A One-Woman Play Written and Performed by Laura Rocklyn
The year is 1788. Abigail and John Adams have just returned from Europe, where John has served as an American envoy to France and then to England. When greeted with the news that the new United States' Constitution has finally been ratified and that the first Presidential election is at hand, Abigail looks back over her life at the center of the inspiring and challenging events that led to the creation of this new nation.
Experience Abigail’s memories of her inspiring relationship with John that began with playful love letters from a young lawyer sending kisses to his "Miss Adorable," and developed into the extraordinary partnership between two sharp and visionary political minds that helped to shape a young nation.
Join us in the Carriage House for this entertaining and informative performance by Laura Rocklyn. The show will be followed by a question and answer session with Abigail/Laura. Lemonade and cookies will be provided!
Laura Rocklyn is a writer, actress, and first-person historical interpreter. The stage adaptation of Jane Eyre that Laura co-wrote with Sally Boyett was produced by the Classic Theatre of Maryland in the spring of 2024; Laura’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol has been performed at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company in 2022 and 2023; and the bio-drama about Clover Adams that Laura co-wrote with Ty Hallmark was produced by Ally Theatre Company in 2017. Laura has published articles in “Brontë Studies” and “The Revere Express,” and she was the winner of the LitMag 2021 Virginia Woolf Award for Short Fiction. Laura is a Member of the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company and an Acting Troupe Member with History At Play. Laura performed her one-woman show “Who Dares to be an Authoress” – a reflection on Jane Austen’s life – at Gore Place in 2025.
Cost: General Admission: $35, Member: $30, Card to Culture: $10
