STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Joe Hall and Julia Ott will reprise the cherished roles of Romeo and Juliet when the Sun Valley Community School players stage William Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy this week.
The tale—among Shakespeare’s most popular plays—will run tonight through Saturday, Feb. 21-23, at 7 p.m. at the Sun Valley Community School Theatre.
Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults, available at www.communityschool.org and at the door.
Don’t expect to see the same “Romeo and Juliet” you’ve always seen.
Director Kevin Wade has removed the adult presence from the show because, he said, he finds that students engage with material most holistically when they feel as though the characters, circumstances and the story are not so different from where they find themselves.
To that end the Capulets and the Montagues have been recast as two warring tribes of orphaned, transient children. Though they have no blood relationships, the tribes function as families.
“The purpose of this concept is to bring the heightened text, which can feel distant and intimidating, closer to who these young actors are,” said Wade, co-director of the school’s Creative Arts Academy. “I was inspired by ‘The Lost boys’ adapted from ‘Peter Pan’ and mixed with, unfortunately, a hint of ‘Lord of the Flies.’ We have also added a good deal of contemporary music to our adaptation, which has been arranged and will be performed by members of our cast.
The production features more than 25 upper school students on and off stage.
In addition to Hall and Ott, cast members include Peter Morawitz, Imogen Harris, Levi Woods, Jasper Mott, Abigail Sheerin, Christine DuFur, Shea Brokaw, Ethan Hunt, Rye Fruehling, Norah Dowdle, Emma Desserault and Priya Merchant.
Also, Shea Slanetz, Bella Maurtua, George Englehardt, Paola Alvarado, Laine Allison, Sophia Sturgeon, Tallulah Gilbreath, Sophie harder, Rosa Schaffner, Paris Himmelman and Elliot Ludlow.
Gabe Delgado is the light designer and Jamey Reynolds, the set designer.