LES SHAKES
www.lesshakespeareco.org
presents

ROMEO AND JULIET
by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Directed and Adapted by MELODY ERFANI
Stage Managed by MAE FRANKEBERGER

July 23-25, 2015

Under St. Marks Theatre
94 St. Marks Place (between 1st Avenue and Avenue A)
Tickets: https://www.artful.ly/les-shakespeare-co

Choreographed by NICK NEAGLE
Music Direction by J.P. MAKOWSKI
Music Performed by LADY AND THE LION
Costumes Designed by PETER MARCIANO
Set Designed by VERONICA SIPP
Produced by ED SYZLINSKI

Cast
Lady Capulet/Apothecary – Adriana Bohmier
Benvolio – Kevin Delano
Tybalt – Edlyn Griffin
Paris/Montague/Sampson – Byron Hagan
Romeo- Sean Hinckle
Mercutio – Ariel Lauryn
Nurse/Prince – Mike Maloney
Friar Laurence – J.P. Makowski
Juliet – Sarah Anne Miles
Capulet – Devin Tillman

LES Shakes’ production of William Shakespeare’s ROMEO AND JULIET is a new interpretation almost too big for the limited performance space at Under St. Marks Theater. In addition to the actors, there is a band performing live music to the side of the audience, and this version uses movement and choreography in place of larger scale action scenes and when the cast act as the Chorus.

The story of ROMEO AND JULIET involves two feuding families, the Capulets and the Montagues, and follows the romance between Romeo (a Montague) and Juliet (a Capulet) to a tragic conclusion. The meeting of the two sets off a series of events, including the deaths of two characters, Romeo being sent into exile and Juliet falling into suicidal desperation. Amid the secret meetings between the title characters and violent episodes between the families, there is levity interspersed in the play, provided mostly by the physical and verbal sparring between Benvolio and Mercutio.

Given the very limited stage space, the set changes are limited to moving a few pieces around, and scene changes are limited to lighting and actors exiting and entering from curtains that block off the backstage area. That said, the full performance area is utilized as well as can be expected, which must have been challenging to choreograph and direct for the fight scenes in particular. The live music adds to the ambiance of the show.

While not the most impactful and complex version of ROMEO AND JULIET one could see, this production keeps the essentials of the story intact and adds a layer of modernity.

- Kessa De Santis -