ECC Theatre 'Romeo and Juliet' opens April 18
Elgin Community College Theatre's spring production of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" will be held from Friday, April 18, to Sunday, May 4. Performances will be held in the ECC Arts Center's SecondSpace Theatre, located in Building H, on the Spartan Drive Campus, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 18 and 25, and May 2; Saturday, April 19 and 26, and May 3; and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 27 and May 4.
ECC Theatre's production of this classic Shakespearean tragedy of forbidden love, revenge, and two tragically entwined families puts more of its focus on Juliet and her family than typical productions. Wanting to highlight Juliet's choices throughout the play, director Azar Kazemi did her own cut of the play (though the words are all still Shakespeare) to focus on Juliet (Sonya Madrigal, Elgin) and the Capulets.
Kazemi says, "I really see Juliet as this strong female protagonist who makes strong choices that propel this story forward and I think that her strength sometimes gets lost in productions."
Tying into that theme of strong female characters, Kazemi has cast female actors in two roles traditionally portrayed by men, Mercutio (Katheryn Pucillo, Lake in the Hills) and Benvolio (Cynthia Esparza, Elgin).
"Honestly, I cast the best actors for these roles and I'm excited for the audience to see how we deal with that gender shift within the production."
Romeo and Juliet is a special play for director Azar Kazemi. She credits directing a scene from the play while in high school with introducing her to directing.
"It was the first thing I ever directed," says Kazemi. This experience inspired her to pursue directing as a career. She revisited the play, directing it in its entirety, while an MFA student in directing at DePaul University and she's welcomed the opportunity to explore Verona, the Capulets, and Montagues further with ECC's theatre students.
As for what she hopes audiences will take away from the play: love.
"I've always found it interesting how much the characters in this play focus on how different Romeo and Juliet are from each other when really they're the same: They cling to each other because they are both very lonely members of powerful families, and they're dealing with the same life pressures," says Kazemi. "I think if we as humans could see the similarities within each other we could divert a lot of tragedies; just as in this play if the Capulets and Montagues could see past their differences before a great tragedy forces them to, we'd have a very different story. There is a great line in this play, 'There's much to do with hate, but more to do with love.' And I think in the end this is a story of love pacifying hatred, in spite of the play's tragic end."
Members of the cast include Kevin Stoffel as Romeo (Algonquin), Eric Waddick as Paris (Algonquin), Sonya Madrigal as Juliet (Elgin), José Lopez as Lord Capulet (Elgin), Katheryn Pucillo as Mercutio (Lake in the Hills), Eric Wagner as Lord Montague/Friar John (St. Charles), Keaton Fahnestock as Friar Laurence (South Elgin), Vinny Prisco as Prince/Apothecary (St. Charles), Paula Smiech as Lady Capulet (Zamosc, Poland), and Sarah Merlo as Nurse (Newcastle, Australia).
Azar Kazemi, visiting director and theater adjunct faculty, also directed ECC Theatre's 2013 production of Tanya Saracho's "Our Lady of the Underpass." She is the founding artistic director of The Blind Owl, a collective of dedicated performers, artists, and activists. She is a graduate of DePaul University's MFA directing program and has worked at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Victory Gardens, Silk Road Rising, Next Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and Chicago Dramatists.
Tickets for ECC Theatre's "Romeo and Juliet" are $11 for adults and $9 for students and seniors. Tickets for all performances in the ECC Arts Center are available online at tickets.elgin.edu or at the ECC box office located in the Arts Center. Box office hours are noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
To purchase tickets by phone, call (847) 622-0300. All major credit cards are accepted.
Visit elgin.edu/arts for more information about the ECC Arts Center, including video clips of upcoming artists and events, the Standing Room Only blog, and links to the Arts Center's Twitter and Facebook pages.
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