Photos by Garth Stead : Images from Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
10 January - 17 Febuary 2007
Synopsis
Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers return under the night sky to the Maynardville Open- Air Theatre.
In this classical lyrical tale from the Bard, Romeo and Juliet's innocent love is doomed from the start by an 'ancient grudge' between their families.
This classical-contemporary approach is a hymn to youth, to love, to passion, to speed and to danger. Against a background of violence and disease, where is the place or time for love.
Set against a backdrop of a thrilling fast paced family feud, Romeo and Juliet achieve the immortality of a legend by dying before they have a chance to slow down, grow up, grow old. There simply isn't time. Their tragedy is that their first time is also their last.
What a waste, what a way to go.
Synopsis
First Half
Verona - a city wracked by gang wars, disease and plague
A long-standing feud between the Montagues and the Capulets flares up in a brawl on the streets and is halted only by the intervention of The Matriarch, who forbids any further fighting.
Romeo, only son of the Montagues, is hopelessly in love with the unattainable Rosaline. He is persuaded by his friends Mercutio and Benvolio to go to a masked ball at the Capulet's house in the hope of seeing her. Instead he meets and falls in love with Juliet, the Capulet's only daughter, and she with him. With the help of Juliet's Nurse, they are secretly married the next day by Friar Laurence.
Juliet's cousin Tybalt quarrels with Romeo and in the fight which ensues Mercutio is killed. Romeo avenges his friend's death and kills Tybalt, for which The Matriarch banishes him from Verona on pain of death.
Interval
Second Half
After spending a single night with his bride Juliet, Romeo escapes to Mantua.
Juliet learns that her parents intend to marry her to Paris. Distraught, she turns to Friar Laurence, who devises a plan. He gives her a drug which will make her appear dead. The plan is that when she awakens from her drugged sleep, Romeo will be waiting to take her to Mantua.
However, Friar Laurence's letter informing Romeo of the plot does not get to Mantua; as it's bearer, Friar John, is prevented from doing so due to the plague. In Mantua Romeo hears from Balthasar of Juliet's 'apparent' death. After procuring poison for himself from an Apothecary, Romeo returns to Verona and Juliet's tomb, where he encounters Paris. They fight and Paris is killed. Romeo finds Juliet apparently dead and kills himself. Waking to find Romeo dead beside her, Juliet takes her life.
The Matriarch forces The Montagues and The Capulets to end the feud and the two families are united.
Cast
| House of Montague | ||
|---|---|---|
| MONTAGUE | Romeo’s father | GRANT SWANBY |
| LADY MONTAGUE | Romeo’s mother | KIRA WILKINSON |
| ROMEO | Son to Montague | MARCEL MEYER |
| BENVOLIO | Nephew to Montague | NIC PAULING |
| BALTHASAR | In the service of Montague | VANESHRAN ARUMUGAN |
| ABRAM | In the service of Montague | MFUNDO TSHAZIBANE |
| SIMON | In the service of Montague | BRENDAN MURRAY |
| House of Capulet | ||
|---|---|---|
| CAPULET | Juliet's Father | GUY DE LANCEY |
| LADY CAPULET | Juliet's Mother | BO PETERSEN |
| JULIET | Daughter to Capulet | ROLANDA MARAIS |
| NURSE | Nurse to Juliet | ANTHEA THOMPSON |
| TYBALT | Nephew to Lady Capulet | MURRAY TODD |
| PETER | In the service of Capulet | SIBUSISO RADEBE |
| SAMPSON | In the service of Capulet | ADRIAN COLLINS |
| GREGORY | In the service of Capulet | GRANT ALMIRALL |
| MATRIARCH | ... | THERESA IGLICH |
| MERCUTIO | Kinsman to Matriarch | JASON RALPH |
| PARIS | Kinsman to Matriarch | SCOTT SPARROW |
| FR. LAURENCE | ... | MATTHEW WILD |
| FRIAR JOHN | ... | BRENDAN MURRAY |
| APOTHECARY | ... | JASON RALPH |
