Holla Holla Productions Presents 'Romeo and Juliet'

HOLLA HOLLA PRODUCTIONS is back for its third consecutive summer, presenting Shakespeare's immortal love tragedy ROMEO AND JULIET beside the Hudson River and beneath the moon, in Clinton Cove Park at W. 55th Street and the Hudson River.  Performances are FREE and start September 6, continuing every Saturday and Sunday through September 21, with shows at 3pm and 7pm.  All seating is on the grass, and picnics are encouraged.

ROMEO AND JULIET is about the sweet passion of first love, pitted against a deadly family rivalry.  When Romeo first spies Juliet at a ball, he is nearly killed on the spot by the hot-tempered Tybalt, Juliet's cousin.  As the two lovers solidify their love through a secret marriage, their friends and relatives escalate the violence, until the streets of Verona are littered with bodies.  ROMEO AND JULIET is performed entirely uncut, and features choreographed fights with rapier, dagger and hand-to-hand combat.

ROMEO AND JULIET is not set in a particular period-instead the production seeks to illuminate the relationships among the characters by use of color.  "The world of ROMEO AND JULIET deals with stark contrasts-the complementary one between the lovers, and the violent opposition between the Montagues and the Capulets," said Clara Barton Green, the artistic director.  "There's also a lot of light and shadow, black and white imagery in the text.  We thought outfitting the characters in black and white would help illustrate the different factions, and point out how deadly simplistic the world of the lovers' is.  The only other color is red-for blood, of course."

Director JASON SPECLAND also directed Holla Holla's 2006 effort, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, in Central Park.  Fight choreography is by Nicholas Santasier, who also staged the fights for last summer's effort, TWELFTH NIGHT.  The production stage manager is Stefania Schramm.  ROMEO AND JULIET is produced with the assistance of Friends of the Hudson River Park.

The cast of ROMEO AND JULIET includes Adam Shorsten (Romeo), Jodie Pfau (Juliet), Letty Ferrer (the Nurse), Michael Clay (Friar Lawrence), J.T. Taylor (Lord Capulet), Melynee Saunders Warren (Lady Capulet), Kevin Lind (Tybalt), Ryan Serhant (Paris), Clara Barton Green (Mercutio), Griffin DuBois (Benvolio), Lauren Ashley Smith (Prince Escala), Chris Cariker (Peter), Mim Granahan (Gregor), Molly Beth Seremet (Samson), Natalie Martin (Abram), Melissa Koval (Balthazar), Charles Baker (Friar John) and Stefania Schramm (Chorus).

Holla Holla Productions was founded in Washington DC by Clara Barton Green.  It has produced acclaimed runs of such shows as VANITIES, AGNES OF GOD and AS YOU LIKE IT, and is committed to continuing a New York summer tradition of bringing free Shakespeare to the people.

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