Divine Child High School presents Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” Nov. 21 to 24 at the DCHS auditorium, 1001 Silvery Lane in Dearborn. For tickets, go to DCHStheater.ludus.com.
As much as the upcoming holidays promise to deliver happiness and good cheer, there are always the dynamics of families and friends with which one must contend.
However, if one sees “Romeo and Juliet” at Divine Child High School or “Mean Girls” at the Fisher Theater this month, one might just walk away with a grateful appreciation for having much more manageable relationship dynamics.
DEARBORN DIVINE CHILD HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS ‘ROMEO AND JULIET’
Divine Child High School Theater presents William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” Nov. 21 to 24 at the high school, 1001 Silvery Lane in Dearborn.
Director Kori Bielaniec said “Romeo and Juliet” is one of her favorite Shakespearean plays and has long been on the list of shows she hoped to direct.
“This gave the opportunity to use a play that my students had read or are reading as freshmen, and really dive into the language and themes of the show,” she said. “We talked a lot about how Shakespeare’s words need to be acted out so that even if the audience is not familiar with a certain word or phrase, they can still understand it.”
Bielaniec said they used the “No Fear Shakespeare” text, which provides a modern translation of the language, to better understand the scenes before returning to the original text of the play.
“I’m not a Shakespearean scholar by any means, so I was also constantly looking up words for either definition or pronunciation,” she said. “It was fun to be on that journey together with the actors and to show that I am always learning, too.”
Bielaniec said she hopes people who have only read “Romeo and Juliet” in the past might gain a different perspective after seeing the show performed on stage.
“‘Romeo and Juliet’ is called one of the greatest love stories of all time, but is it actually romantic that a 13-year-old and likely 17-year-old fall in love and kill themselves within a span of a few days?” she said. “Or is it Shakespeare trying to show his audiences that there is tragedy and suffering in generational trauma that is passed from parents to children?”
Bielaniec said the DCHS production is set in 1920s New York City.
“One of the greatest things about a Shakespearean play is that it transcends time and space,” she said. “It also gave us a reason for the unnamed generational fighting between the Capulets and Montagues – rival Mafia families during Prohibition – and given a reason for the conflict made it easier to digest why these families would be so at odds with each other.”
Bielaniec said introducing speakeasys, flapper dresses and music from the 1920s was fun as well.
Penny Soranno, who plays Lady Capulet, said she hopes audiences discover that there are many aspects to the story.
“Even though you think you have the complete puzzle, there could still be another piece missing,” she said.
Cara Madden, who plays Gregory, a Capulet servant, said she has enjoyed learning the double meaning in Shakespeare’s writing.
“The way we can interpret the text can make it as funny or somber as possible,” she said.
Madden said the show is full of raw emotion, and that high school students can relate to the feeling Romeo and Juliet experienced, since they were about the same age.
She said there are also many lines in the show that people will remember after the curtain falls.
“Escalus’ line, ‘You shall all repent the loss of mine,’ and Romeo’s famous ‘I defy you, stars’ both give me chills every rehearsal,” Madden said.
Lily Stachowski, who plays the apothecary, said setting “Romeo and Juliet” in the Roaring Twenties is an amazing spin on a classic tale.
“I hope people leave knowing that not only is there meaning in the story, there’s so much freedom when it comes to telling,” she said. “The actors are on stage, performing a version of a traditional show that none of us had thought of prior.”
The cast includes: Collin Miller as Romeo, Riley Downey as Juliet, Aidan Milliken as Friar Laurence, Alana Nowlan as Juliet’s nurse, Tom Grahor as Benvolio and Ethan Yanoski as Mercutio.
Also, Nick Lu-Tirador as Tybalt, John Wejroch as Lord Capulet, Penny Soranno as Lady Capulet, Shamus Winter as Lord Montague and Ella Postl as Lady Montague.
In addition, Alexandra Marciniak as Escalus, Theo Soderquist as Count Paris, Ryan Thorp as (Sister) John, Lucy Morris as Capulet servant Peter, Lily Stachowski as the apothecary, Paige Mack as the page to Count Paris, Maggie Breyer as Romeo’s servant Balthasar, Raven Taylor as Capulet servant Sampson, Cara Madden as Capulet servant Gregory, and Landen Bermudez as Montague servant Abram.
Also, as people of Verona, are: Kareem Abouzenni, Samatha Bush, Jane Dziamski, Ania Elsey, Isabella Fernandez, Kenny Helppie, Cassidy Kanclerz, Helena Phillips, Alina Price, Andrea Ramirez, Helena Trudel and Brynley Yannatta.
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21 to 23, and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 24 in the DCHS auditorium.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students, with a $10 student ticket price on Nov. 21, opening night. To order, go to DCHStheater.ludus.com.
The hit musical “Mean Girls” runs Nov. 19 to 24 at the Fisher Theater, 3011 W. Grand Blvd. in Detroit. For tickets and more information, go to BroadwayInDetroit.com.
BROADWAY IN DETROIT BRINGS ‘MEAN GIRLS’ TO THE FISHER THEATER
Broadway in Detroit brings the musical comedy “Mean Girls” to town Nov. 19 to 24 at the Fisher Theater, 3011 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit.
“Mean Girls,” a rock musical, with a book by Tina Fey, lyrics by Neil Benjamin and music by Jeff Richmond, is based on the 2004 film by the same name. The movie was inspired by Rosalind Wiseman’s 2002 book “Queen Bees and Wannabes.”
Cady Heron, who grew up being home-schooled in Africa by her parents, is suddenly thrust into the wild world of an American high school, where two outsiders befriend her and teach her about the social pecking order.
As Cady learns to negotiate the cliques and the unwritten rules of the students, she makes mistakes and eventually learns the importance of being true to herself.
The show was nominated for 12 Tony Awards in 2018, including Best Musical.
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19 to 23, and 6:30 p.m. Nov. 24, with 2 p.m. Nov. 23 and 1 p.m. Nov. 24 matinees.
To order tickets, call the box office at 313-887-1256 or go to BroadwayInDetroit.com.
MELVINDALE HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS ‘PETER AND THE STARCATCHER’
Melvindale High School presents “Peter and the Starcatcher” at 7 p.m. Nov. 22 and 23 at the Strong Middle School auditorium, 18656 Prospect St.
The play is a prequel to J.M. Barrie’s book about Peter and Wendy, providing a humorous and fantastical backstory for Peter Pan, Mrs. Darling, Tinker Bell and Hook.
Tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the door.