Blend Shakespeare’s grandest romantic tragedy with Prokofiev’s gorgeous ballet and it’s time to experience a whole new “Romeo and Juliet.” The Theater and Dance Program at Mercer Community College presents an original adaptation of the Shakespeare classic at Kelsey Theater on weekends, Friday, April 10, to Sunday, April 19. Tickets are $18.
According to Jody Gazenbeek-Person, the coordinator of the program, Shakespeare’s words will be enriched with ballet, as acting and dance merge into one mesmerizing performance. “The play’s original five acts have been blended into two acts, with the acting and dancing weaving in and out of each other as the plot unfolds,” says Gazenbeek-Person.
Gazenbeek-Person proceeded with the blended concept after meeting Emily Mann, McCarter Theater’s artistic director. Mann did an adaptation of her own in 2001 and shared her script. “When I saw Ms. Mann’s script, I was less afraid to cut,” says Gazenbeek-Person. “Some of the minor characters have been removed, but all the important soliloquies remain. Others have been replaced with dance. My goal is to remain true to the poetry of Shakespeare, and the beautiful music of Prokofiev’s ballet.”
The students have spent considerable time researching the language, dress, and lifestyle of Elizabethan England. “The show includes some carefully choreographed sword fights,” says Gazenbeek-Person. “In Elizabethan times, street violence was very real. You could walk out of the theater having marveled at a sword fight on stage and find yourself pulling out your sword on the street. It was very much a part of Elizabethan life and we still find similar violence today.” The cast features Calla Tisdale of West Windsor as Acolyte of the Principessa.
Romeo and Juliet, Kelsey Theater, Mercer Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. Friday, April 10, 8 p.m. Shakespeare’s love story presented with Prokofiev’s score. Presented by Mercer Community College Theater and Dance Program. $18. Weekends through Sunday, April 19. 609-570-3333. www.kelseytheatre.net.
