Genesius Guild's "Romeo & Juliet" at Lincoln Park -- June 18 through 26.
Saturday, June 18, through Sunday, June 26, 7 p.m.
Lincoln Park, 1120 40th Street, Rock Island IL
For the venerated classical-theatre company's latest season of performances in Rock Island's Lincoln Park, Genesius Guild is opening its 2022 lineup with perhaps the most beloved – and certainly the most famous – tragic romance of all time, with William Shakespeare's timeless Romeo & Juliet being performed June 18 through 26 by a gifted cast almost wholly composed of actors who are also high-schoolers.
Romeo & Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to antiquity, with its plot based on an Italian tale translated into verse as The Tragical History of Romeus & Juliet by Arthur Brooke in 1562, and retold in prose in William Painter's Palace of Pleasure in 1567. Shakespeare borrowed heavily from both but expanded the plot by developing a number of supporting characters, particularly Mercutio and Paris. Believed to have been written between 1591 and 1595, the play was first published in a quarto version in 1597, and Shakespeare's use of poetic dramatic structure – including effects such as switching between comedy and tragedy to heighten tension, the expansion of minor characters, and numerous sub-plots to embellish the story – was an early demonstration of the author's dramatic skill.
One of the Bard's most frequently revisited works, Romeo & Juliet has been adapted numerous times for stage, cinema, musical, and opera venues. During the English Restoration, it was revived and heavily revised by William Davenant. David Garrick's 18th-century version also modified several scenes, removing material then considered indecent, and Georg Benda's Romeo und Julie omitted much of the action and used a happy ending. Performances in the 19th century, including Charlotte Cushman's, restored the original text and focused on greater realism, while John Gielgud's legendary 1935 version kept very close to Shakespeare's text and used Elizabethan costumes and staging to enhance the drama. In the 20th and into the 21st century, the play has been adapted in versions as diverse as George Cukor's 1936 film, Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 movie hit (which famously cast age-appropriate leads), and Baz Luhrmann's MTV-inspired Romeo + Juliet from 1996.
Directing Romeo & Juliet for Genesius Guild is company veteran Kitty Israel, whose on-stage credits in Lincoln Park have included roles in The Merchant of Venice and last summer's Measure for Measure (abridged), and who previously directed Shakespeare's As You Like It for the verse-theatre troupe the Prenzie Players. Among Israel's cast, Olivia Akers, who portrays Juliet's Nurse, recently finished her first year of college. The rest of the ensemble, however, is composed entirely of high-school students, with the cast featuring: Charles Budan and Miranda Croll as the title characters; Bella Kuta as Mercutio; Caleb Schroeder as Benvolio; Mac Dolan as Tybalt; Claire Henniges as Lady Capulet; Emily Wichelmann as Lady Montague; and Geno DelPreore as Friar Lawrence.
Completing the ensemble are Adie Craig, Lindsey Gerlach, Nathaniel Honts, Jennifer Weaver, and Haley Woolley, with Liz Sager serving as Romeo & Juliet's stage manager. And with Kayla Brix as Israel's assistant stage manager, additional members of the show's creative team include fight choreographer Lily Blouin; lead costumer Shannon Ryan; assistant costumer Courtney Wehmeier; technical director Andy Shearouse; assistant technical director Riley Scranton; and producer and prop master Isabel Dawson.
Genesius Guild's Romeo & Juliet will be staged in Rock Island's Lincoln Park on Saturdays and Sundays June 18 through 26, with donations encouraged for the free 7 p.m. performances, and more information is available by visiting Genesius.org.
