Romeo and Juliet Revisited

Arizona Daily Wildcat Shakespeare

The players in the company will perform as part of the Tucson Arts District Partnership in the reopened Rialto Theatre at 318 E. Congress St. (across from Club Congress).

Tickets for the performance will be on a first-come, first-serve basis and will be free of charge.

In addition to the performance, artists will pave the streets downtown with fighting demos and dueling idiots, capturing the essence of the bard himself, the iconic poet Shakespeare.

For those who are really into all that snazzy Renaissance gear, there will be a Period Costume Promenade at the Ronstadt Center beginning at 6:30, traveling down the road to the Rialto for the evening's performance, which has been specially designed to appeal to children and families.

Following the adaptation of Shakespeare's passionate tragedy will be an interactive question and answer session, entitled "Talk Back".

"The question and answer talk back gives students the opportunity to learn what goes on in the production," says Claudia Jespersen, Downtown Saturday Night coordinator for the Tucson Arts District. "Students can gain an understanding of the technical procedures, writing processes and information regarding the playwright.

"The main reason for the company's touring is educational," she adds. "Their greatest mission is to allow students an opportunity to gain an understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare."

Shakespeare's running metaphors and colorful language can often be intimidating for those who are not familiar with his style. The focus of the Utah Shakespearean Festival tour is to erase this notion by illuminating what lays at the core of many of his works - laughter and imagination.

"This group is unique in its proactive addition to the performance," says Jespersen. "The company encourages audience interaction during the 'Talk Back' and offers people a chance to get a true feeling of the theatre experience."

Gary Armagnac, the award-winning director responsible for this performance of "Romeo and Juliet," says, "I believe that Shakespeare made his works to communicate with his audience."

Armagnac's name has been penciled on the back of canvas chairs in theatre, film and television studios across the country. Recently, he directed the Utah Shakespearean Festival video documentary "Shakes: Rattle and Role" for PBS.

What can one expect to encounter at this performance? Plenty of swords, daggers and poisoning humor, pathos and love. Then again, as Kathy Dobronyi, the theatre's local representative reflects, in the end, it's just "a beautiful story being told."