Youthful ‘Romeo & Juliet’ preformed in
Ketchum
By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer
Shakespeare Company of Sun Valley’s Summer
Performance Workshop unveils its debut production Friday, July 25, and Saturday,
July 26, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Ketchum. The play will be staged
outside on St. Thomas’ lower terrace at 6:30 and 8:15 p.m. Tickets are $14 for
adults and $7 for children under 10. They are available at Chapter One Bookstore
in Ketchum and at St. Thomas.
Ariana Supkoff is Juliet and Robert
Cruz plays Romeo in Shakespeare Company of Sun Valley's production of "Romeo
and Juliet." Photo by Kevin Johnson
Directed by Kimberly White, the director
of the Shakespeare Company of Sun Valley, "Romeo & Juliet" features 10 Wood
River Valley teens. Utilizing the mixed ancestry of the actors, the setting has
been changed from Italy to Mexico. The young lovers meet during the Day of the
Dead holiday.
The young cast includes Amy Jessinger,
Tony Maricich, Brenna Poppe, Luis Ruiz, Tyrone Ray and Dylan Whitrock. Finn
Whitrock, seen in Shakespeare plays in the valley the past three summers, plays
a number of roles. Heather Hansen, a Wood River Valley dancer and artist will
also appear in the play as well as doing work with Seattle artist Angela
Pershnokov on the Day of the Dead set design.
Robert Cruz plays Romeo while the Juliet
role is split three ways; Nancy Tamayo and Laura Zarate both play her in one
performance each and Ariana Supkoff takes the role for two performances.
"I’m super excited about the casting. I
think it’s really great, White said. "We have a big range of kids. Some have
never done Shakespeare and others have done a lot."
For portrayal of their parts, the cast
members made masks typically worn on the Day of the Dead holiday.
While in rehearsals, the workshop
participants had classes in voice, stage fighting with John Armour, mask making
and poetry.
White said the play is shortened a bit.
"Some scenes were cut for timing, a few characters were cut, there were internal
scene cuts and the chorus is cut down as well."
Instead, Molly Ventor who’ll accompany
herself on guitar will sing a modified story telling part at the beginning.
Allie Kessler is the assistant director
intern.
"It’s a terrific play to do with
teens--the passion of being that age, the parent child relationships and also
the peer issues as well as violence and what part that plays both in the play
and in our lives," White said.