Drama’s fall play, a modern spin on “Romeo and Juliet,” has plenty of surprises in store. Directed by English and Drama teacher Amy Pottinger, the play follows the plot of “Romeo and Juliet.” It uses Shakespearean language but is otherwise modernized.
Senior Clel Howard, as Romeo, says the modernization will really set the play apart from the norm.
“We have Lime scooters instead of horses, texting is very much incorporated into the show, like with projectors, and the whole show, there are many scenes that are based in classroom settings too,” Howard said.
It’s not only the props that have been updated. Senior Greta Crouch, playing Juliet, said the costumes are specially designed. “Romeo’s family is a little bit more preppy in style, and Juliet’s family is kind of goth-emo, which is an interesting dynamic,” said Crouch.
Audience members will notice even more. “We will have a unique seating arrangement…an immersive experience,” Pottinger said. Howard said the same. “The stage setup is very different…very similar to Shakespearean theater,” said Howard.
The drama students have been rehearsing for months in preparation, staying after school almost every day, some weeks. Their Saturday rehearsals are known as 10-to-10s. Why? “We’re coming in at 10 a.m., and we stay until 10 p.m. And usually in the morning, we’re dressed, fixing tech aspects, figuring out setting and lights, and actors can sometimes work on individual scenes on stage. And then after, in the afternoon, it’s pretty much just running the show, as much as we can, with all the tech involved,” said Crouch.
Additionally, Pottinger mentioned that there have been some bumps in the road throughout production. “We did have some setbacks because I was sick for a week…and then other people have gotten sick, so we’ve been contending with that,” Pottinger said.
Despite the immense amount of work and many grueling hours put into this show, the actors have kept it fun. “In rehearsal, we come up with a lot of inside jokes and then during the shows we get to have fun on stage and backstage, so it’s really just fun hanging out with everyone,” Crouch said.
And they have plenty to look forward to once the play is over.
Said Howard: “This year of shows is going to be very exciting, and ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is just the start. So, look forward to ‘Frozen’ in the spring and a bunch of amazing things, like One Acts coming up in December.”
