SHS’s Romeo & Juliet
As always, the Summit High School Theatre Program delivers on an incredible production in this year’s show, Romeo and Juliet.
Anne Poyner, director of the theatre program as well as of SHS’s incredibly successful Speech and Debate team, asserts, “We’re very excited to be doing the most famous Shakespeare play.” The play reveals what happens when “we let hate divide us”, as well as “the strength of the power of love.”
Dedicated and insightful student director Matt Polo reasons that “these messages still resonate with audiences today because we as individuals and as a society are in a constant struggle between the good and the bad, the just and the unjust, the loved and the hated. That's why we chose to do this play: it teaches both its viewers and actors that love has a unique ability to bring people together, even if that takes the death of two young lovers.”
Alex Gallegos (front) and Hefziba Campos (back left).
Seniors Donald Grennon and Anna Sullivan, as the eponymous Romeo and Juliet, brought the stage to life with their color and chemistry. Backed by an incredible supporting crew – notably, senior Lissette Green as Nurse, who elicited hearty laughter from the audience on more than one occasion, and senior Alex Gallegos for his performance as the furious Lord Capulet in Act III – the production of Romeo and Juliet was cohesive, seamless, and amazing to watch.
Junior Matt Hecker, who played the complex, bawdy character of Mercutio with astounding effortlessness and believability, was grateful to have been given the opportunity. He praises the inappropriateness of the show and how it can relate to high-schoolers today, despite being written in the 16th century.
Jack Model (left) and Matt Hecker (right).
Junior Hefziba Campos - who delivered a wonderful portrayal of Prince Escalus - says that her favorite thing about the play was working on fight scene choreography. “Running fight call, raising the stakes,” she grinned wistfully, “and watching everyone grow as a fighter,” made play practice all the more enjoyable.
Not only enjoyable but instructive, Anne Poyner notes that the cast has learned much by working with Shakespearean English. Familiarity with Old English sentence structure and vernacular helps students in their classes, and each of them feels the “thrill of saying all these beautiful words.”
After intermission, the tone of the play noticeably shifted. The colorful flowers in their clay pots onstage had vanished, and the previously-gurgling fountain had been silenced. Muted was the life of the town of Verona, stifled by the series of star-crossed tragedies that befall the cast. Light and sound crew, headed by juniors Tristan Guenther and Rachel Quartuccio respectively, deserve high praise. The cast members were clearly illuminated, and the backdrop changed color and intensity to match the mood well. Sound quality excellent and volume perfect, every line was heard and appreciated.
The cast of Romeo and Juliet.
Well-articulated by Matt Polo: “So many worked so hard to make this show come together, and I couldn't be more proud. Congratulations to all of the cast and crew for a job well done!"
SHS plans on presenting Footloose the musical this spring. Make sure to grab tickets when they go on sale to see what will certainly be another amazing production!
