Classic With A Twist

It's a love/hate thing: "Romeo and Juliet" specifically -- rival families with children who fall in love -- but its author's work in general.

"Most people really do not like Shakespeare," says Jules Taylor. "It's going to turn them off, and they are probably not going to see it."

And that's one reason Taylor wanted to adapt and direct William Shakespeare's story of star-crossed lovers for Arts Live Theatre in Fayetteville.

"We really want to start introducing [Shakespeare] to younger audiences," which fill most of the seats at Arts Live shows, she says.

The challenge for her, she says, was to be true to the text while creating an interesting hourlong show the Arts Live audience could easily follow.

"The main characters have their scenes almost entirely directly from text," Taylor says of her version. "I tried not to cut within the speeches so [the actors] really got that experience. But it's all interlaced with silly things."

Those "silly things," which help move the story along and help the audience understand the unfamiliar words and concepts, she says, include a spirit war between the Montagues and the Capulets and disco dancing at the Capulets' ball.

"Jules has done a really good job making it fun, exciting and interesting," says Kathleen Curlee, 17, who plays Juliet Capulet.

"Romeo and Juliet" marks Curlee's 10th production with Arts Live. She's shares the stage with another Arts Live veteran, Olivia Moore, as Lady Capulet. Moore, 16, has been in "about 20 shows," she says.

Both girls say this show has required a lot of extra work outside of rehearsals, but that is exactly the kind of challenge they were looking for when they auditioned. And it's helping them hone their skills, especially in character analysis.

"I knew coming into it that I would have to really look at what I'm saying and how my character would feel," Moore says. "I wanted that practice."

"It's hard to act through Shakespeare's text," Curlee says. "You have to know exactly what [the words] mean so you can convey what your character is trying to say. If you don't know what it means, you have no idea what you are doing."

"Shakespeare doesn't put many stage directions in, so that adds to the challenge," adds newcomer Nick Cordero, who plays Romeo Montague.

The three say they watched videos of performances of "Romeo and Juliet" and read study guides to give them some inspiration to play the famous characters as authentically as they could.

"It showed how much they worked on their own," Taylor says of the trio. "Without a doubt."

Rehearsals for the show have lasted a bit longer and have been structured a bit differently than most Arts Live shows, Taylor says.

The first three weeks were spent with Taylor working in small groups of actors on small scenes to ensure they really understood the script.

"It took a lot of table reading. ... If you don't know what you are saying, it's not going to translate [to the audience]," Taylor says.

After those three intensive weeks of work, blocking and running the show took over rehearsals. One scene Taylor purposely didn't rehearse much was perhaps the most famous scene in all literature -- the balcony scene.

"I wanted it to have that freshness, that spontaneity," Taylor says. "Also, there's not a lot of movement in the scene [to block out] because the words are so gorgeous."

Taylor also says her Romeo and Juliet -- who didn't know each other before this show -- have developed a nice connection on stage. So much so, they came to her for permission to replace handholding with a kiss in one scene.

"We wanted it to be realistic," says Cordero, 16.

"We're trying to make the show the best it can be," Curlee says. "I know when I watched [the movie] I [kept wondering] 'When are they gonna kiss? When are they gonna kiss?' ... This is the greatest love story of all time. We have to kiss!"

Taylor says the actors' decision and request for the kiss show they are ready. "I wouldn't want to put that on stage with any kind of awkwardness because the audience would feel that."

Cordero says initially he wouldn't have done the kiss, but after the lengthy rehearsal process he and Curlee have become friends and built trust with each other.

Trust is what Taylor and these young actors are looking for from the audience.

"If people come to see the show, they will begin to change [their minds]," Moore says. "They'll see Shakespeare can be fun and they will see the actual meaning. That's the beauty of theater."

NAN What's Up on 05/20/2016