ROMEO AND JULIET by William Shakespeare

“I saw Shakespeare, it wasn’t hard, and don’t tell anyone but I may have even liked it.” This is the sort of thing we hear from students after this show. The dramatic style mirrors the narrative, creating an exciting ride for our young audiences. They are drawn into reckless abandon, a world of period costumes, playful sword fights and comedic characters, as Romeo and Juliet fall in love. But then of course the joy and frivolity ruptures and fades as the tragedy sets in and we all fall together.

Students are guided to ask questions and talk about the performance; what they understood, what they liked or didn’t. We often hear the comment that Romeo and Juliet is a play about two dumb teenagers and lust. We explore this idea so students see how what seems to be an off-hand comment could form the basis of a valid reading. Then we challenge this idea by looking at different portrayals of the main characters that might make the love-at-first-sight narrative more appealing. Where time and the level of the group permits, we also look at how creative choices can be used to explore essay prompts such as “Who is to blame?” and “Is love or hate the more powerful force?”