VIDEO: Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET Opens at Westport Country Playhouse

"Romeo and Juliet," William Shakespeare's classic love story, with a cast of 20, period costuming, sword fights, and scenic design by a Tony Award winner, will be directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Mark Lamos at Westport Country Playhouse, from October 31 through November 19. This is the first time the beloved play has been produced in the history of the Playhouse's 87 seasons.

"Every time I get to revisit this exuberant and moving celebration of romantic love and youth, I feel as if someone's giving me a gift," said Lamos. "The play's permanent popularity, 'now of mythic intensity,' as scholar Harold Bloom writes, lifts the experience you have watching it out of any categories of 'tragedy' or 'love story' into something richly personal and deeply spiritual. It's a timeless work of art that speaks to each of us always and forever."

"Romeo and Juliet" is Shakespeare's tale of two teenagers who fight to love each other in a violent world. Although their families are at war, their love cannot be torn apart.

Members of the Actors' Equity Association cast are Patrick Andrews as Mercutio, Chris Bolan as Montague, J. Kenneth Campbell as Escalus, Alison Cimmet as Capulet's Wife, James Cusati-Moyer as Romeo, Tyler Fauntleroy as Benvolio, Peter Francis James as Friar Laurence, Felicity Jones Latta as Nurse, Jim Ludlum as Samson, Dave Register as Tybalt, Nicole Rodenburg as Juliet, andTriney Sandoval as Capulet.

Non-Equity cast members from Westport, CT are Peter Molesworth as Balthasar, and Clay Singer as Peter; from Stamford, CT are Emily Vrissis as an ensemble member, and Jamil Zraikat as Gregory; and from Madison, CT, Barbara Hentschel as Montague's wife. Also, Adam Coy as an ensemble member, Cole Francum as Paris, and Becca Schneider as an ensemble member.

Director Mark Lamos, "among the finest Shakespearean directors in the world," according to the New York Post, has directed many plays at Westport Country Playhouse since 2008. His extensive New York credits include "Our Country's Good," for which he received a Tony Award nomination. A former artistic director at Hartford Stage, he earned the 1989 Tony Award for the theater's body of work. He was awarded the Connecticut Medal for the Arts as well as honorary doctorates from Connecticut College, University of Hartford, and Trinity College. Last year, he was the recipient of the John Houseman Award.

"Romeo and Juliet" is the fourth Shakespearian production in the Playhouse's history. Other Playhouse stagings of works by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) include "As You Like It" in 1931, "The Taming of the Shrew" in 1994, and "Twelfth Night" in 2011, directed by Lamos.

The design team includes Michael Yeargan, scenic design; Fabian Fidel Aguilar, costume design; Matthew Richards, lighting design; and David Budries, sound design.

"Romeo and Juliet" Production Sponsors are Czekaj Artistic Productions, Barbara and John Samuelson, and Barbara and John Streicker; Corporate Production Sponsor is Fidelity Investments. Production Partners are Carol and Peter Seldin; Corporate Production Partner is Cohen and Wolf.

Performance schedule is Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday at 2 and 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m. andSunday at 3 p.m. Special series feature Taste of Tuesday (Oct. 31), LGBT Night OUT (Nov. 2), Opening Night (Nov. 4), SundaySymposium (Nov. 5), Together at the Table Family Dinner (Nov. 7), Open Captions (Nov. 12), Backstage Pass (Nov. 15), Playhouse Happy Hour (Nov. 16), and Thursday TalkBack (Nov. 16).

Single tickets start at $30; buy early for best prices.

During the run of "Romeo and Juliet," Westport Country Playhouse is partnering with numerous artists, scholars, and local organizations in a celebration of William Shakespeare and the Playhouse production with an initiative entitled "Boundless as the Sea: The Genius of William Shakespeare." Offering a Shakespeare roundtable, teacher training, student matinees, master classes, and more, the initiative invites patrons to explore and discover just how fresh, exciting, and accessible the plays of this universal genius are.

All play titles, artists, and dates are subject to change.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).

The mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater worth talking about and the welcoming experience of the Playhouse campus. The Playhouse creates this relationship with the community and provides this experience in multiple ways by offering: Live theater experiences of the highest quality, under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos, from May through November; educational and community engagement events and opportunities to further explore issues presented by the work on stage; special performances and programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand play readings throughout the year to deepen relationships with audiences and artists alike; the renowned Woodward Internship Program training program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations from December through May to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; youth performance training through Broadway Method Academy, the Playhouse's resident conservatory; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round. The value of the Westport Country Playhouse to all it touches is immeasurable.

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