Shakespeare makes his way into student play

Audience, prepare thyselves. The light comedy of "Shakespeare’s R & J" gives way to gut-wrenching drama in this interpretation of William Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet." Goosebumps are guaranteed from the all-female cast in pin curls and saddle shoes as they portray the story of Romeo and Juliet.

"R & J" centers around four students in a Catholic school who stumble upon an abandoned classroom and find a banned copy of "Romeo and Juliet." The forbidden contents of the play send the students away from a life of rigid prayer and holy obedience.

There are two different versions of "R & J" — an all-male cast and an all-female cast. Neither cast has been allowed to see the other’s interpretation, according to sophomore Brynn Dorsey, a member of the all-female cast.

The female cast includes Dorsey and juniors Millie Juraschek, Monica Booker and Anna Kate Bocknek. These actresses can spout wherefores, begones, and sirrahs with the best of them, but even the most Shakespeare-illiterate shouldn’t be daunted by this Elizabethan tongue. While the girls’ screwball antics are fodder for laughs, their expressions of rage and grief are gripping. The actresses have moments of intense and very realistic emotion within the production.

The play is put together with intrigue — the energy of the actresses adds spice to the script, and the movement on the stage is well-varied. The actresses plant themselves on high wooden blocks, whirl in a frenzied, furious game of tug-o-war, or simply sit placidly cross-legged and watch the other girls perform scenes from the dusty pages of the play.

Lighting conveys the mood of the piece — warming to a golden glow, then waning to a metallic purple coldness as the colors play on glinting silver chains strung from the rafters.

The only costumes in "R & J" — knee-high socks, plaid skirts, crisp, collared shirts and navy schoolgirl sweaters — lend realism and proved surprisingly versatile during the show.

Juraschek said the classic story of Romeo and Juliet is still pertinent to modern audiences.

"We know these [characters]," Juraschek said. "The audience can relate to the characters because they share the same emotions."

She said that the actresses were inspired by their own lives to breathe life into their characters. For example, Michelle Booker said it was difficult for her to keep the multiple roles of acting like herself and as Shakespearean characters separate.

Some audience members may question an all-female cast playing both male and female roles, like those of Romeo and Juliet. However, Dorsey said the show wasn’t about homosexuality.

"We want to show that love is a universal emotion that can happen to anybody," Dorsey said.

The all-female version can be seen Friday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m.

The all-male version can be seen today and Saturday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m., with senior Daniel Cullen, sophomore Vince Zangardi, sophomore Brandon Ferraro and senior Andrew P. Ballard.

Tickets are $8 general admission and $6 for children under 12, senior citizens and JACard holders.