Lutheran High School Westland Fine Arts Department Presents Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare adapted by Kate Ulrey March 8 & 9, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. West Gym, 33300 Cowan Road, Westland Performed in five acts with no intermission. The performance begins with the song Beautiful Girls by Sean Kingston followed by the original dance Verona s Hoppin The performance concludes with the song Remember by Christina Rossetti and Stephen Chatman After the performance you are invited to enjoy the refreshments provided in the Lobby.
Setting and Scenes Setting: Modern Day Verona Act I Opening Song: April Is In My Mistress Face by Thomas Morley Scene 1 A street brawl. The members of the two leading families of Verona, the Montagues and the Capulets, are fighting. This has gone on as long as anyone can remember, and we never discover why. Scene 2 A street. Paris is interested in Juliet. Romeo and Benvolio discover there is to be a party at the Capulets. Benvolio, determined to show Romeo there are other girls than Rosaline, convinces him to go. Scene 3 The Capulet s house. Juliet s mother tells her that a young Count, Paris, is interested in marrying her. Scene 4--The Capulet s house. Romeo and Juliet meet. Notice that he has forgotten Rosaline, the object of his earlier desire. Act II Scene1 A street. Romeo s friends are trying to find him. Scene 2 Courtyard of the Capulet house. Romeo sees Juliet on the balcony of her house. Scene 3 Outside the church. Romeo goes to his friend, Friar Laurence, to ask him to marry the two of them. Scene 4 A street. The nurse meets Romeo to hear the plans for the wedding. Scene 5 Courtyard of the Capulet house. The nurse gives Juliet the news but teases her a little! Scene 6 Outside the church. Romeo and Juliet meet to be married. 2
Setting and Scenes Act III Wedding Song: In These Delightful Pleasant Groves by Henry Purcell Scene 1 A hot Verona street. Romeo s friends are looking for him. So is Tybalt. In a heated exchange, Tybalt kills Mercutio. Romeo takes revenge on Tybalt and kills him. The Prince banishes Romeo. Scene 2 The Capulet s house. The nurse tells Juliet of Tybalt s death and the banishment of Romeo. Scene 3 The friar s room. Romeo learns he is to be banished. Scene 4 A wedding between Juliet and Paris is planned. Scene 5 Capulet s house. Romeo and Juliet leave each other. Lord Capulet is not happy with Juliet s refusal to marry Paris. Act 4 Scene 1 The friar s room. Friar Laurence has a plan to help Juliet escape marriage to Paris. Scene 2 The Capulet s house. Juliet apologizes. Scene 3 Juliet s room. Juliet takes a potion which makes her appear dead. Scene 4 The Capulet s house. Plans for a wedding are made. Scene 5 Juliet s room. Juliet is discovered dead. Act 5 Scene 1 Mantua. Romeo learns of Juliet s death. He buys poison Scene 2 Outside the church. Friar Laurence learns from Friar John that Romeo didn t receive the letter telling him that Juliet is safe. Scene 3 The Capulet s tomb. All is discovered too late. 3
Cast Chorus: Megan Heil Prince: Kole Niemi Paris: Mitchell Meyer Montague: Ian O Banion Capulet: Walter Gembarski Lady Montague: Emily Blasiola Lady Capulet: Jessica Drife Romeo: Eric Smith Juliet: Gwen Ulrey Nurse: Natalie Freeman Mercutio: Helene Woyczesczyk Benvolio: Rachel Wiggins Tybalt: Janine Erickson Friar Laurence: Peter Sillanpaa Friar John: Nathan Abbott Sampson: Laura Sillanpaa Gregory: Chelsea Kovacs Abraham: Angela Morrison Servant: Sarah Braden Balthasar: Noelle Pierce Peter: Katherine Schmaltz Apothecary: Katie Smith Page to Paris: Lisi Leger Watchman 1: Jillian Matasovsky Watchman 2: Alana Hill Watchman 3: Beth Cross Citizens/Servants: Sarah Braden, Allison Uzarek, Carrie Caruthers Dancers/Extras Kayla Boye, Connor Even Kaite Genthner, Abby Marzinski Jonah Lambart, Brad Hura Nick Garber, Pari Thakkar Emmett Matasovsky, Caleb Pierce, Brittany Hill, Zoe Januszkowski, Christine Sankey, Caleb Richter, Mackenzie York, Ethan Becker, Caitlin O Banion Musicians Nate Barringer & Alex Lohn 4
Production Staff Director: Mrs. Kate Ulrey Assistant Directors: Mr. David Kusch and Mrs. Jeaneen Wyly Technical Director: Mr. Stephen Bornheimer Production Manager: Abby Schaffer Assistant to the Technical Director: Jacob Bartos Stage Managers: Annalee Kuhr & Jane Ulrey Publicity: Brandon Kruger, Laura Sillanpaa, Lauren Tischler, Allison Uzarek, Hunter Roedel Choreography: Annalee Kuhr & Jane Ulrey Set Design: Gwen Ulrey Set Painting: Emily Blasiola, Jonah Lambart, Alex Reardon, and Gwen Ulrey Props: Emily Blasiola and Jonah Lambart Costumes: Noelle Pierce Hair: Madison Conley and Julia Yancy Fight Coordinator: Jonah Lambart 5
LHWL Chamber Singers Chandler Davenport, Jacob Davenport, Jessica Drife, Janine Erickson, Natalie Freeman, Michelle Greening, Christa Kasprowicz, Angela Morrison, Matthew Parent, Peter Sillanpaa, Eric Smith, Helene Woyczesczyk, and Jane Ulrey Directed by Dr. John Boonenberg Acknowledgements Thanks to the parents of our cast members for their support, volunteer labor, and tasty dinners. Special thanks to the Ericksons, Freemans, Hills, Matasovskys, O Banions, Sillanpaas, and both Smith families. Thanks to Deidre Erickson for sewing costumes. Thanks to Catherine and Richard Bradbury for the set. 6
Thoughts from the Director Romeo & Juliet is perhaps Shakespeare s best known play and a bit daunting to perform because of this. When we decided to do this play, I knew I would have more girls than guys come out for it. Fortunately, Shakespeare accommodates a change in gender easily. It intrigued me to have several of the traditional roles shift to girls. What if Benvolio, Romeo s best friend, was a girl who liked Romeo, but he didn t see it? A Taylor Swift approach, if you will. What prevented Mercutio or Tybalt from being a girl? Certainly in a modern setting it was entirely possible. What if the fight was done as a hip hop battle? After all, hip hop developed as a way for youth to express their frustration with their environment. So, the idea of this production of Romeo & Juliet was born. Yet, we hearken back to Shakespeare s time in the design of our set. With little scenery and few props, the balcony in the center, we are mimicking the Elizabethan stage. The decision to go with black and red as the colors of the households was made by the players. Traditionally in the theater black is tragedy, white is comedy and red is history. We thought it fitting to take two of these colors for our stage. When I looked at the play through the perspective of our time, it worked. The emotions and issues are timeless. Ben Jonson said of Shakespeare, He was not of an age but for all time. As we present our modern take on Romeo & Juliet, I hope that you, too, feel he is as appropriate for today as he was in the 16 th century. I am honored to have worked with such a wonderful group of kids. Their dedication to learning and understanding the language is impressive. In particular, I must mention Abby Schaffer. She sat beside me at all rehearsals, writing down blocking and keeping things on track. What a blessing to have her! Both those who have been on the stage before and those who are newly joining us have worked hard to bring you this production. How fortunate I am to be a part of it. God is good, very good! 7
Cast Profiles Nathan Abbott, a sophomore, plays Friar John. His favorite part of being in the play is that his character is responsible for the death of Romeo and Juliet. Nate Barringer, a junior, is a musician for the play. His favorite part of being in Romeo and Juliet is just being able to play in front of others. He loves to play guitar and is happy to be able to contribute to the production. Kayla Boye, a sophomore, is an extra and a dancer in this production. Kayla's favorite part of being in Romeo and Juliet is hanging out with her friends backstage along with dancing in the play. This is her second drama production for LHWL. Emily Blasiola, a junior, plays Lady Montague. Her favorite part of being in Romeo and Juliet is all the action backstage. "You really create a close bond with the whole cast, and it's a great experience!" Sarah Braden, who plays Servant #2, is a junior here at LHWL. Her favorite part of the play was getting to spend time backstage with her friends and getting to dance in the hip-hop battle. "I feel so swagalicious!" she says. Carrie Caruthers, a sophomore, plays an extra for the Montagues and a dancer. She enjoys the play as a way to make new friends and explore new opportunities. She has learned that every part, even an extra, is important, and she looks forward to future productions. Beth Cross, who is a junior, plays a Montague, a servant and a watchman. This is the first drama production she is participating in at Lutheran High Westland. She is very excited to finally have the chance to play a role in the drama department! 8
Cast Profiles Jessica Drife, a senior, plays Lady Capulet. Her favorite part of being in Romeo and Juliet is getting to see people who have never been involved in drama in the past get really into it and do an amazing job. She thinks this cast is fantastic and loves working with them. Janine Erickson, a senior, plays the part of the fiery Tybalt. Playing Tybalt is her favorite part of Romeo and Juliet because he is so central to the plot, and he is so consistently hateful towards Montagues. He is wonderfully dependable which she feels is a characteristic everyone should have. Connor Even, a sophomore, is a walk-on and works backstage. His favorite part is the opportunity to get closer to your friends. Natalie Marie Freeman, a smart junior, plays the amazing Nurse in Romeo and Juliet. She has learned that as long as she gives Mrs.Ulrey diet coke, she will always forgive her for being late. Her favorite part of Romeo and Juliet is all the amazing people, their witty comments, Shakespeare s secret messages, and Friar John ( ; Nick Garber, a sophomore, plays a thug and a flirt. His favorite part of being in Romeo and Juliet is that he gets to flirt with a bunch of girls on stage. Walter Gembarski, a junior, plays Lord Capulet. His favorite part is yelling at Gwen (Juliet) and spending time with everyone. Kaite Genthner, a freshman, is in her first performance here at LHWL. She is very excited and glad to be a part of the cast. Megan Heil, a junior, plays the Chorus. Her favorite part of the play is watching all the actors develop their characters. 9
Cast Profiles Alana Hill is a junior at LHWL. Who plays the 2nd Watchman. She really likes how everyone is so open and is so outgoing and that everyone seems to really love being here and having a good time. Brittany Hill is a 7th grader at St. Paul Lutheran School, Ann Arbor. She is an extra and really likes getting to spend time with the high schoolers and being in her first high school production. Chelsea Kovacs, a sophomore, plays Gregory. It's hard to pin point any one thing that is my favorite, but I would have to say it would be either the opening hip hop dance off or the real fighting because they make just make you so worn out...in a good way. Annalee Kuhr, a junior, is co-stage manager and co-choreographer. Her favorite part of the play is getting to spend time with friends and seeing Kole (Prince) dance as a groupie. Jonah Lambart, a junior, plays one of the Prince s men and is an extra. He claims his part is the best. His favorite part of being in drama is eating animal crackers. Lisi Leger, a sophomore, plays Paris's page. Her favorite parts of being in the play include funny moments during a scene or backstage, simply being involved in the production itself and representing LHWL, growing more knowledgeable in the world of acting and, of course, forming bonds fellow cast mates. Something Lisi never knew about Shakespeare was just how humorous his plays were (even without the modern additions). 10
Cast Profiles Abby Marzinski, a sophomore, is an extra and a dancer in the play. Abby's favorite part of being in Romeo and Juliet is getting to know people whom she hadn't talked to before. This is her second drama production for LHWL. Emmett Matasovsky, a 7th grader at St. Michael Lutheran in Wayne, is an extra in the crowd scenes. He enjoys meeting new friends at LWHL and is thankful that his sister lets him come along! He is looking forward to attending school here in fall of 2014! Jillian Matasovsky, a freshman, plays Watchman #1. Her favorite part of being in the play is being with her friends and having the chance to make new ones! Mitchell Meyer, a sophomore, plays Paris. He enjoys the opportunities that Romeo and Juliet provides for getting to know his classmates better, to be able to share the Bard with a larger audience, and learning some Elizabethan insults along the way. Angela Morrison, a senior, is playing Abraham. Her favorite part of being in Romeo and Juliet is getting to hang out with all of her friends and she enjoys learning the hip-hop moves. She likes doing the hip-hop dances because it s something she has never gotten the chance to do before, and it is fun. Kole Niemi, a junior, plays the Prince. His favorite part of being in Romeo and Juliet is having thugs. The most interesting thing I have learned from being in the play is what actually happens in the play. I like turtles, said Kole. Caitlin O'Banion, an eighth grader, is an extra in Romeo and Juliet. Her favorite part of being involved is being exposed to the atmosphere of high school early on and having fun with the whole cast. Ian O'Banion, a sophomore, plays Lord Montague. His favorite part of being in Romeo and Juliet is being exposed to Shakespeare other than in English class. Caleb Pierce, a fourth grader, is an extra. His favorite part of the play is seeing what happens behind the scenes since this is his first major production. Also, he has had a great time experiencing what it is like to be an actor. 11
Cast Profiles Noelle Pierce, a sophomore, is Balthasar. Her favorite part of the play is analyzing the Elizabethan language because she now has a better understanding and appreciation for Shakespeare. Also, she loves forming stronger friendships with other cast members. Christine Sankey, a sophomore, plays an extra. Her favorite part of being in Romeo and Juliet is being in the dance-off scene where she can get her swag on and beat the Capulets! Abby Schaffer, a freshman, is the stage manager. Her favorite part of being a part of Romeo and Juliet is getting to see the whole production come together. She feels that getting to see how much time and effort are put into the production has given her a new respect for theater. Katherine Schmaltz, a sophomore, plays Peter. My favorite part of being in Romeo and Juliet is laughing a lot and eating chocolates. I feel like maybe Shakespeare wasn't all that bad and might even be considered cool! Peter Sillanpaa, a senior, plays Friar Lawrence. His favorite part of being in Romeo and Juliet is spending time with the other cast members. He feels that the theatre department is truly a bonding experience where people can make new friends. Plus, he enjoys acting in general as well. Eric Smith, a senior, plays Romeo. His favorite part of being in Romeo and Juliet is working backstage with his "gang of friends," such as Rachel Wiggins (Benvolio) and Helene Woyczesczyk (Mercutio). He feels their chemistry is really strong, and he loves getting to perform scenes on stage with them. 12
Cast Profiles Katie Smith, a junior, plays the apothecary and a dancer. Her favorite part of being in the play is getting to hang out with her friends. She has a lot of fun and feels that it brings them closer together. Parishima Thakkar, a junior, is a dancer. The most important thing that I have learned from the play is ACTING, because this is my first play. Jane Ulrey, a junior, is co-choreographer and co-stage manager. She enjoys working on the dance with her fellow students and putting a modern perspective on Shakespeare. Her favorite part was working with Kole as a backup dancer. Gwen Ulrey, a sophomore, plays Juliet and is the stage designer. The challenge of a modern set and a modern Juliet was intriguing to her. Her favorite parts are watching the process develop and friendships form. Allison Uzarek, a freshman, plays a servant/citizen. Her favorite thing part about being in the play is getting to know more people and making new friends. Andrew Wiggins is a first grader at Concordia Lutheran School, playing the apothecary's son (aka the pathetic child ). This is his second appearance in a Lutheran Westland production. He enjoys looking pathetic on stage. In order to help him do this, he thinks about all the Legos he doesn't have and all the "disgusting" dinners his mother has served him. Rachel Wiggins is a sophomore playing the part of Romeo's best friend, Benvolio. This is her fourth LHWL play. She loves being able to bring Shakespeare to life through acting, and she has a lot of fun trying to understand and 'be' her character. However, she thinks that the very best part of being in a play is simply having fun with her fellow actors. Helene Woyczesczyk is a senior at LHWL and is in her eighth performance at the school. She enjoys hating the Capulets and everything they stand for and eating Mrs. Freeman s delicious Magic Bars. She is playing Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. Mackenzie York, a sophomore, is an extra. Her favorite part about Romeo and Juliet is the performance. 13
Join us for the last production of the 2012-2013 Season SPRING PLAY May 17 & 18, 2013 7:00 P.M. Robert Fulghum s All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten 14
LHWL Thespian Troupe #4248 This year we reinstated our charter as a Thespian Troupe with The International Thespian Society. The Troupe was first chartered in 1987. Our 2012-2013 Thespian Officers Helene Woyczesczyk, President Jessica Drife, Vice-President Janine Erickson, Secretary Peter Sillanpaa, Treasurer Eric Smith, Scribe Gwen Ulrey, Publicity Jane Ulrey, Activities Mr. David Kusch, Troupe Director 15