Santa Monica Playhouse and Il Dolce Theatre Company Present ROMEO AND JULIET- LOVE IS A FIRE

Santa Monica Playhouse and Il Dolce Theatre Company present Romeo and Juliet - Love is a Fire, a tragedy by William Shakespeare for this occasion adapted by Neno Pervan.

A young, lovesick boy falls instantly in love with a young girl, and she passionately and momentarily loves him back. Their love is bigger than life. Alas, their influential, rich families are locked into a decades-old vendetta. This leads to tragedy. We all know this basic plot of Romeo and Juliet. We know how and where it starts and how it ends. We all recognize it as one of the great love stories.

Yet, we do not know - why? Why do these young lovers have to die? Why do their respective families hate each other so much? Shakespeare did not tell us. We will try to find out. We respect the Bard's timeless verse, but we are creating our own Verona. Our Romeo and Juliet, and their Love, are on Fire.

Romeo and Juliet - Love is a Fire features Charlotte Williams (Prince Escalus), Raquel Justice (Juliet), Annalisa Cochrane (Romeo), Sika Lonner (Nurse, Lady Montague), Tory Smith (Mercutio, Capulet), Madeleine Shallan (Benvolio, Balthazar), Gavin Mulcahy (Tybalt, Montague, Paris), Alan Corvaia (Friar Lawrence), Madison Hansen (Lady Capulet), Chantel Adedeji (Juliet-swing), Laura Ann Smyth (Juliet-dancer), Chris Smith (Romeo-dancer) and is adapted and directed by Nenad "Neno" Pervan.

Nenad "Neno" Pervan, was born and raised in the city of Sarajevo, in a country that is no more. Since 1993, he lives and works in the United States as an actor, director, producer and educator. As an actor Neno appeared in more than 50 stage productions, films, and TV and new-media shows. He acted opposite many great actors, including Academy Award winners Benicio Del Toro, and Tommy Lee Jones. Neno produces, directs, acts, and writes for theatre, film, TV, and the new media and has directed 25 productions in professional and academic theatre in the US as well as internationally. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, and a member of Global Arts Corps, as well as Artistic Director and co-founder of Il Dolce Theatre Company.

Il Dolce Theatre Company is an ad-hoc self-financed theatre company that brings socially and politically engaged plays by well and lesser-known playwrights from Central and Southeastern Europe to audiences in Los Angeles. Its main goal is to cultivate theatre that is unfamiliar in LA and use it to inform and enrich theatre-goers.

Romeo and Juliet - Love is a Fire will play Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from October 14 through November 18. General admission is $25. Visit https://www.santamonicaplayhouse.com/love-is-a-fire.html for more information and to book tickets.

Santa Monica Playhouse is located at 1211 4th Street, one block east of the Third Street Promenade. By public transportation, take the Santa Monica Blue Bus or the LA Metro Rapid #720, exit 4th and Wilshire or take the Metro E line (Expo) to 4th and Colorado.

Santa Monica Playhouse programs are supported in part by grants from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission, the Ahmanson Foundation, the Rotary Club Foundation and Playhouse PALS.

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