Modern-day "Romeo and Juliet" for teens presented at Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts

Modern-day "Romeo and Juliet" for teens presented at Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts

Star-crossed lovers, feuding families and the powerful tug of teen-age angst take center stage in an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," Wednesday, March 20 at 10 a.m. at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. The 90-minute performance, created by Theatreworks/USA, is adapted for a teen-age audience and is suitable for students in middle and high school. The show is part of the Quick Center's Arts Bound Schoolday Series. Lesson plans and a teacher's guide are available.

This version of "Romeo and Juliet" is set in a futurist Verona and features an acting troupe of 12 dressed in contemporary costume, as well as incidental music by a pop/rock band. According to director Rob Barron, the classic tale was chosen for adaptation because it addresses timeless teen issues of family discord, peer pressure and the passion of first love. "Shakespeare's play resonates powerfully, even centuries after it was originally written, addressing contemporary issues of violence, conformity and communication and miscommunication between parents and children," says Barron, a Yale School of Drama graduate and a veteran Theatreworks playwright/director.

Founded in 1961, Theatreworks/USA is America's foremost professional theatre for young and family audiences. The company creates imaginative, sophisticated shows that are educational, entertaining and thought-provoking. Theatreworks has received the Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel awards, as well as the William M. Dawson Award from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters.

Tickets for the performance are $5, with discounts available for groups and birthday parties. The Arts Bound outreach program is funded in part by the Kiwanis Club of Fairfield and Unilever H & PC USA Schools in Partnership Program. For information or tickets, call the box office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396, or visit the web site, www.quickcenter.com.

Posted On: 02-15-2002 09:02 AM

Volume: 34 Number: 167