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Fall in love again with
Shakespeare's timeless story of young passions and feuding families as
the star-crossed lovers of “Romeo
and Juliet”
are brought to Evansville in a magnificent and non-traditional
setting. With the support of the Evansville Convention and Visitor’s
Bureau, Civic Theatre will bring Shakespeare in the Park to Evansville
in a free performance at the Evansville Visitors Center Pagoda on July
25, 26, and 27 at 6:00 PM.
Civic Theatre “goes green”
this summer by placing a modern spin on a classic approach to live
theatre. The performance will take place around the beautiful Oriental
Pagoda that faces the riverfront between the Four Freedoms monument
and the Evansville Museum. In keeping with a national trend for energy
conservation, no theatrical lighting will be used in the performance.
With this “green” approach, the local energy company Vectren has
agreed to sponsor the Shakespeare in the Park project along with
Casino Aztar and the Official NEXTWAVE Educational Program sponsor
Healthy Life Bread.
Families are encouraged to bring lawnchairs, blankets, and picnic
baskets as they follow the action around the pagoda from scene to
scene and enjoy the sun as it sets over the Ohio. Shakespeare in the
Park has become a staple in big cities such as New York, Seattle, and
San Francisco, as well as cities as close as Louisville and St. Louis.
This will be Civic’s first venture in outdoor theatre since the mid
1980’s when they produced summer musicals at the Mesker Park
Amphitheater.
A long
hot summer in Verona enflames the old feud between the Capulet and
Montague families, which ultimately leads to public brawls. As the
tension builds in the streets, two teenagers fall in love at first
sight. Married in secret, they hope for reconciliation between their
families. When short tempers lead to deadly consequences, the young
lovers find themselves alone and on the run, facing impossible odds
and making desperate decisions. What starts as a bawdy teenage comedy
transforms into a heart-stirring romance for the ages, and features
the shining lyricism of Shakespeare's extraordinary poetry.
Although this classic love story
will stay true to Shakespeare’s original script, the production will
cast the characters into an imagined future that will be loosely based
on the science fiction concept of “Cyberpunk” that has been expanded
upon by such movies as “Bladerunner” and “The Matrix”. Using the “east
meets west” appearance of the Visitor’s Center Pagoda as inspiration,
the warring families will draw from both oriental and old west styles
with a futuristic twist, showing the truly timeless and culture
bending qualities of Shakespeare’s words.
Auditions for
“Romeo and Juliet” will take place May 20 and 21 at the Evansville
Civic Theatre at 6:30 PM. Callbacks will be on May 22, also at 6:30.
The cast will consist of age-appropriate characters ranging from teens
to senior citizens. |
