Drama to present horror story rendition of “Romeo and Juliet”
Photo by STEPHANIE MUÑOZ
by STEPHANIE TANG
Presenting a spinoff of Shakespeare’s tragedy, drama members will perform “The Dark Carnival of Romeo and Juliet,” Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.
Daniel Gonzalez, drama teacher and director of the play, asked his stage design class to develop different play concepts based on a series of lectures on theatre styles. The students, 140 in total, have been arranging the production for 13 weeks.
“Being able to communicate with all the students and getting to know them personally was my favorite part about this production; it allowed us to create something brilliant that we can share with the school,” said senior Aria Valdez, drama president.
The technical theatre crew, composed of 80 students, has been preparing the lighting, sound, costumes, makeup, and prop and set designs.
The acting crew of 60 students has been rehearsing to master their roles and memorize their scripts, making changes as they run through the scenes.
“I’m excited to see the audience’s reaction to the set design and costumes, because the way that we approached it is very unconventional,” said Gonzalez.
The production is a dark, comedic rendition of the original play with a fresh, new take to invoke fright and laughter.
Edward Holguin will play the role of Shakespeare while Dravyn Umphrey-Collins will play Romeo Montague and Valdez will play Juliet Capulet.
The setting is in an abandoned circus and will feature the Freaks as the Montagues and Mimes as the Capulets.
Drama has redefined the Shakespearean play to demonstrate their concept of “freak show meets Romeo and Juliet” while still showcasing aspects of the original piece.
“It was really amazing to be able to be so interactive, especially with those who are Freaks, because I was more involved with them,” said senior Sonny Lopez, acting crew.
Tickets are available for $7 presale in Room M-1, or from students involved with the production. They will be $8 at the door.
Due to frightening content, children ages 5 and under will not be admitted.