Interview: Vivian White & Sean Boyd of THE SEUSSIFICATION OF ROMEO & JULIET at Trinity Theatre Company

Trinity Theatre Company is entering its teen years, as they open their 13th Grown Up Stage (GUS) season with THE SEUSSIFICATION OF ROMEO & JULIET, by Peter Bloedel and directed by Vivian White.  This season, under the guidance of Artistic Director Sean Boyd.  This play is a whimsical adaption of Shakespeare’s classic, aiming to make it more relatable to audiences of all ages by highlighting the joy and the youthful ignorance that fuels the decisions of these young lovers.  Sean Boyd and Vivian White talk about what it is like to bring this adaptation to the stage, with their cast and crew playing through March 2nd. 

THE SEUSSIFICATION OF ROMEO & JULIET is filled with whimsy and is retold in a Seussian style that will delight people of every age.  Director Vivian White says this play is a fun new twist on the classic drama.

“The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet” by Peter Bloedel, takes a comedic approach to Western theatre's most iconic tragic story. The classic iambic pentameter all Shakespeare lovers are familiar with has been switched out for a Dr.Seuss rhyme scheme and the original plot has been tweaked to create a few fun surprises for audience members familiar with the original script. If you're looking for a good laugh, this show is the perfect show to come see.”

White says that working on this play was an excellent opportunity to work with the company on the language and how to present this story, which Shakespeare wrote in Iambic pentameter and is adapted into a rhyming scheme inspired by Dr. Seuss to combine these two iconic but different approaches in one piece.

“Similar to my approach with Shakespeare, we focused our conversations about the language around the intent of the character and then built out from there. I find that working on any piece with strictly structured language, the best way to avoid a repetitive "sing-songy" tone, is to treat the dialogue as if the character is coming up with it as they speak. The characters themselves aren't expecting to rhyme, that just happened to be the way their thoughts were expressed in that moment. This allows the audience to discover the rhymes along with the characters, instead of anticipating what's coming next and filling in the blanks before it happens on stage.” 

Artistic Director Sean Boyd says that THE SEUSSIFICATION OF ROMEO & JULIET is a great show for Trinity Theatre to bring to San Diego audiences. It perfectly fulfills the theatre's mission of serving the community through its art.

“Trinity Theatre Company was established in 2012 with the intention of using theatre to unify friends, family, and the community. In a time where there's so much drama, we decided it was a time to come together and laugh. With 13 actors coming together and being just a little silly, it really has been the perfect delight! I'm very grateful to all of the creative minds behind the team, especially Vivian, who has gone above and beyond to create a playful environment for cast and crew alike.”

How To Get Tickets

You can read it on the page,
But it’s better to watch upon the stage, 
Watch as Romeo and Juliet’s fates are to be reckoned,
You must be quick because it’s only playing through March 2nd!

THE SEUSSIFICATION OF ROMEO & JULIET is playing through March 2nd at Trinity Theatre Company.  For ticket and show time information, go to https://trinityttc.org/

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Trinity Theatre Company