The Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA Programs Present ROMEO & JULIET, 5/7-19

The Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA Programs will present a dramatic reinvention of the Shakespearian classic Romeo and Juliet, directed by Ryan Purcell (Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs '13). Experience this timeless tale of forbidden passion in a new way: a world filled with violence, jealousy, and ultimately loss transformed. Performances are May 7 through May 19 in the Citizens Bank Theater, Pell Chafee Performance Center, 87 Empire Street, Providence. General admission is $12, with a $6 admission for seniors and students. Tickets are now on sale at the Trinity Rep box office, by phone (401) 351-4242, and online at trinityrep.com.

Shakespeare's first great tragedy and one of his most beloved works, Romeo and Juliet is a poignant reminder of the powerful force of passion as two teens, kept apart by their feuding families, throw caution to the wind and pursue their forbidden romance.

Director Ryan Purcell states, "Romeo and Juliet teaches us that love, loss and growing are experienced by people of all ages, and that we share our experiences with those in our community." Purcell hopes to transform the performances into a unique community experience for all audience members, leading to a more lively and diverse civic discourse. In order to create a more cross-generational event, Purcell has cast nine local high school students, from the Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Performing & Visual Arts, to round out the cast.

Hundreds of local high school students, as well as several non profit social service providers and community organizations have received tickets to the show through Trinity Rep's Citizens Bank Open Access Theatre (CBOAT) program. Purcell's goal is to bring together all ages to experience the show as a communal event stating, "I want the audience to leave as more engaged members of our society, awake to the way our behavior shapes each other."

The cast features third-year MFA acting students Leah Anderson (Juliet), Peter Mark Kendall (Romeo), Alston Brown (Benvolio), Grant Chapman (Mercutio), Caitlin Davies (Lady Capulet), Amanda Dolan (The Nurse), Daniel Duque-Eastrada (Lord Capulet), Barrie Kreinik (The Prince), Leicester Landon (Tybalt), Drew Ledbetter (Paris), Liz Morgan (Petra), Jaime Rosenstein (The Chorus) and Brandon J. Vukovic (Friar Laurence).

Ryan Purcell is a director, teacher, and theatre artist originally from Seattle. His directing work has been seen at The Hangar Theater, LaMaMa ETC, The Olney Theatre Center, FringeNYC, Brown Playwrights Rep and Magic Theatre, and he has worked with theatre artists ranging from Robert Wilson to Dan Savage. He received a Fulbright Scholarship to develop a theatre piece in Salvador, Brazil, and a Drama League Directing Fellowship. Teaching credits include Brown University and the Hangar Theatre Lab Company. He expects his MFA from Brown University/Trinity Rep in 2013.

The Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA Programs provides a three-year professional training program for eighteen students under the auspices of an Ivy League University and Rhode Island's Tony Award-winning theater company. Brown University's Department of Theatre, Speech and Dance is internationally recognized for the quality of its faculty and instruction. Trinity Rep, with its deep tradition of resident artists, provides powerful artistic assets and creates a firm foundation for a new generation of theater artists.

DETAILS AT-A-GLANCE
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Thesis Production featuring 3rd year MFA actors
May 7 - May 19, 2013

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