“Romeo and Juliet” as if they went to Watertown High
New Rep’s Classic Repertory Company reveals another side of Shakespeare and theater life
Raider Times photo / Courtesy of Christopher McKenzie
The New Rep Classic Repertory Company from Watertown has a unique take on “Romeo and Juliet”.
April 8, 2017
Everyone knows the romantic tragedy of “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare. But what if the story was told through the perspective of teenagers? The New Rep’s Classic Repertory Company did exactly that in their production early Friday morning at Watertown High School.
The cast has a ritual it does together before shows in order to get the performers ready for the stage. They take multiple breaths and from there they each say a few words about what it is they want to achieve and enforce for that particular show. The last thing they do is put their hands one-by-one in the middle, saying who they are putting it there for.
Ivy Ryan played Benvolio and Lady Capulet. She was asked about how being in this particular production of “Romeo and Juliet” changed her as a person.
“Being in this production of Romeo and Juliet has increased my appetite for finding a sense of play in my storytelling,” she said. “I get swept up in the beauty of this language, the dynamic of these characters, and the world that Shakespeare has created every day.
“I have learned that even after 30 plus performances of a show it doesn’t have to get stale, there are always new moments to discover.”
Siobhan Carroll, who played Juliet, had a different view of on how the show changed her as this group of actors has been performing together for seven months.
“It made me feel more flexible,” she said. “The people in the cast are so open and free to love each other.”
Sam Warton, who portrayed Romeo, explained his favorite part of being in a show.
“Being onstage is so great because it happens once and then it’s over,” he said.
Sam believes that in order to achieve his goal of having put on a “good show” is where the audience comes to play.
“Every show is different and you don’t know what to expect,” he said. “It’s all for the audience.”
Lastly, the cast members had some tips for aspiring actors/actresses. They said the most important aspects of being successful in theatrics is to be honest and open to others, and to listen to scene partners. Their biggest tip was to keep trying.
“Audition as much as possible. The most important thing is to try because you’ll regret it if you don’t,” said Siobhan.
Sam agreed indirectly, saying, “You have to find what it is that makes you happy. It takes hard work, and you have to be willing to be dedicated, always trying to improve.”
–April 7, 2017–
