As for Romeo &
Juliet, that was a bit of a happy accident.
We wanted to do two plays this year and needed one that would be a
dramatic contrast to MSND – while
still sharing some of the same romantically tragic elements of how love (or the
lack of it) affects people. Plus, this
would be an opportunity for people to see a well-known story presented in a new
way, which will be illuminating in ways that more traditional productions,
movies or merely reading the script are not.
Romeo & Juliet was written
around the same time as MSND, and
Andy Kirtland (the director) initially thought it could be performed using just
10 actors, as well (9 performing and 1 prompting). However, after many nights of hair-pulling
research, he discovered that this play does indeed need 11 people. This is where our Apprentice idea came from,
and we are thrilled to be bringing in someone to take over a track of roles for
R & J as well as assist our
awesome stage manager in MSND. R &
J also has that wonderful simultaneous dialogue in certain parts, if you
use the Unrehearsed Cue Script Technique.
These dramatic moments of confusion and characters talking over each
other are thrilling and are rarely (if ever) seen in performances! On a personal note, R & J was the first Shakespeare play I ever read and acted
in. Even though I had a very small part
as a dancer in that university production, years later it would be one of my
first Unrehearsed Cue Script Technique shows with The New England Shakespeare
Festival – in which I played Mercutio.
As with all of our Unrehearsed Shakespeare Project shows,
each of our actors have taken on 2 or 3 tracks, which we switch around for each
performance. So, audience members who
attend on multiple days will never see the exact same show twice! Watching an Unrehearsed Cue Script Technique
production brings Shakespeare’s plays to life in ways that people don’t usually
get to see. Our theatre company cares
about the story and staying true to the text, which comes through in the high
quality performances and audience reaction.
I am thrilled to be bringing our 3rd year’s tour to Allegheny
Parks again and look forward to bringing our fun and energetic shows there for
many years to come.
-Elizabeth Ruelas, Artistic Director of The New Renaissance Theatre Company (which produces The Unrehearsed Shakespeare Project)