The annual Shakespeare Festival hosted by Grand Valley State University’s Department of Music, Theatre and Dance (MTD) kicked off on Oct. 4 with the GVSU Theatre’s opening performance of “Romeo and Juliet.”
“Romeo and Juliet” is the Shakespearean classic in which Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet, fall in love in the midst of a longstanding family feud. The GVSU adaption sets the play in the 1930s to display a greater contrast, with the Montagues implied to be a Sicilian mafia family and the Capulets to be Italian fascists.
“I think what I was really interested in was creating a world where the Capulets and the Montagues were easily distinguishable,” said Patrick Poole, the show’s guest director.
The play showcases this by changing the costumes from traditional Renaissance clothing to the suits and military uniforms of 1930s Italy.
“Many times, you see colors (to distinguish the families), but more, some of the ideas or organizations that they represent,” Poole said.
For the students and actors involved, many were relatively new to Shakespeare and the famous production, which caused some cast members to feel intimidated. Evan Bolla noted that playing Romeo has been the biggest role yet of his acting career.
“It was the biggest shock to the system (that) I’ve ever had in my eight years of theater,” Bolla said. “I knew it was going to be a big undertaking, especially considering I’m still very new to the theater system at Grand Valley, but I was willing to take on this big role.”
Molly Fenn, who plays Juliet Capulet, said that for many in GVSU Theatre, the play is the first time performing a Shakespearean classic.
“Coming into the show, with it being one of the most famous Shakespeare plays, was really nerve-racking,” Fenn said. “The majority of us weren’t very knowledgeable when it came to Shakespeare (and) we had only really done one or two shows (prior).”
The old English language of Shakespearean plays can be one of the biggest challenges for actors involved. To help with this, Poole took extra time to ensure that his cast fully understood the play and its language.
“The clarity comes from the cast,” Poole said. “It’s the work that they’ve done in our (table reads) and in our scene work that has led to confidence. This will be a clear story for people to follow, even if they’re not extremely familiar with (the dialogue).”
Poole’s work with the cast, along with the modern framing of the adaption, was done in hopes that the play is easier for the audience to understand and enjoy. The attention to detail also put many of the cast members at ease and allowed them to appreciate the play to its fullest extent.
“It feels extra rewarding when you come home from a rehearsal knowing you’ve gained new knowledge about something you didn’t know before,” Fenn said. “I’m honestly grateful we took the time to slowly move through and really truly understand what was going on, what (their characters) were saying and what every single line meant. It makes you appreciate Shakespeare for what it really is.”
Both Fenn and Bolla are excited to perform “Romeo and Juliet” again from Oct. 10-13 and continue their work with GVSU Theatre.
The Grand Valley Shakespeare Festival is Michigan’s oldest and largest Shakespeare festival. The festival is hosted yearly by GVSU Theatre and includes workshops, an art competition, an on-campus Renaissance Festival and a mainstage performance. The festival will go on a tour of secondary schools with a separate, shorter performance of Shakespeare’s “Bard to Go,” before stopping back at GVSU for a final production of the shorter performance on Oct. 26.
