the apothocary's conundrum

A new-old Elizabethan stage play by Rex M. Pietrobono

A Drama in Verse
The Apothecary’s Conundrum

A new, old tale of hearts entangled—where ambition steeped in shadow, power, and potion collide with true love. One woman’s steadfast resolve stands between devotion and a fate so veiled that even light would falter at its edge.

London, 1600.

Mercy lives quietly yet resolutely, guided by grace and moral clarity in a city restless with intrigue. When Edmund’s honorable affection kindles within her a love both profound and enduring, their union seems ordered by providence. Yet the unsought admiration of another—twisted by obsession—becomes perilous. Cyril, brilliant, wounded, and unrestrained by conscience, turns to darker means when desire is denied.

Within the hush of a shadowed apothecary’s shop, an ancient forbidden potion sets in motion trials that threaten to unravel fragile bonds. As Edmund is forced from the City of London and thrust into war, Mercy must withstand deception and confront insidious manipulation, determining whether love rooted in truth can survive what artifice would corrupt.

Written in verse for the page—and the stage—The Apothecary’s Conundrum is a sweeping Elizabethan drama of love, conscience, obsession, and redemption.

The Forest Confidant (Act I, Scene III)

The curtain rises on a quiet forest path—where bitterness hardens and vengeance takes root. In 1600s England, two thieves cross paths with Cyril—a man of means, marked by deep wounds and shadowed resolve. Blades flash. Blood spills. Yet the true reckoning begins after, when Cyril—alone beneath a towering oak—confides not in men, but in the silent witness that stands above him.

In a raw, unraveling soliloquy, he lays bare his grief, his rage, and his mounting hunger for retribution. Betrayed by brother, by kin, by beloved—stripped of honor and cast aside—what remains is a man unmoored, with poison in his heart and purpose in his voice.

A storm has entered the woods… and it is bound for London.

The Apothecary’s Soliloquy Act I, Scene III

When a well-spoken gentleman enters his shop in search of an elixir of allure, the apothecary Percival finds himself poised upon the razor’s edge between craft and conscience. In this pivotal soliloquy, he stands alone—unsettled by a transaction that proves anything but ordinary.

Many have crossed his threshold with coin in hand; yet this request awakens a deeper disquiet. The purpose is plainly spoken—yet something in its temper rings untrue. When payment is certain but the spirit of the request runs darker than declared, where does duty end… and reckoning begin?

Here lies the apothecary’s conundrum.

THE BOOK AWAITS

Enter a world of treachery, vengeance, and verse. Whether thou art drawn to Elizabethan drama, a student of the stage, or a seeker of richly woven tales—The Apothecary’s Conundrum awaits thee.

The Apothecary’s Conundrum

This stage play is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

All performance rights to The Apothecary’s Conundrum are strictly reserved. No production, staged reading, broadcast, recording, or adaptation may be undertaken without the express written consent of the author. For licensing inquiries, please contact Rex M. Pietrobono.

ISBNs
Hardcover: 979-8-9987204-0-6
Paperback: 979-8-9987204-1-3
eBook: 979-8-9987204-2-0

Creative Contributors

Illustrations — Mary Coons
Interior Design — Danna Mathias Steele
Original Cover Typography and Layout — Silkie Spingies
Final Cover Design Refinement — Anna C. Pietrobono
Copyediting and Proofreading — Skye Loyd
Website Design — Dana Escamilla

First Edition · 2026
Printed in the United States of America