WAYNESBORO, VA (Rocktown Now) – William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” arrives to The Wayne Theatre on Friday, February 14th. In a press showcase on Thursday, February 6th, the cast and crew presented scenes for the media to take photos and answer questions about their show.

“Romeo and Juliet” has had several adaptations with a different take in setting and costume design. Director Chris Johnston said one of his first thoughts when discussing the production of the play was Juliet sitting on the roof of a trailer during the famous balcony scene.

Louis Altman (left) and Rosemary Richards (right) during the balcony scene

“Because Shakespeare’s plays seem to be written about the very rich, the stories are only telling people about the rich,” Johnston said. “With this, I said, “The story is not unique to just people who are making lots of money. This story is something everybody experiences. We all have friends; we all have enemies, we all experience love, we all experience tragedy.”‘

Director Chris Johnston introducing scenes in Romeo and Juliet

Artistic Director, Lesley Larsen, has been wanting to put a Shakespeare play on stage for a long time. The idea started 5 years ago.

“It really took finding the right time, the right people, the right opportunity, and the right play,” said Larsen. “Romeo and Juliet is such an iconic show and almost everyone has some kind of exposure to it. So, I thought that would be a fun thing to bring to our Wayne audiences.”

Artistic Director Lesley Larsen welcoming everyone to the showcase

Chris Johnston’s main goal for this adaptation was to include other communities through the setting, props and costumes. One of the scenes that was presented was the party scene where Romeo and Juliet meet. In this show, the party is presented as a neighborhood barbeque.

“What I love about it is that I recognize the people on the stage,” Lesley Larsen said. “I can see myself as some of the people on the stage and that’s pretty bananas when you consider how old this play is. William Shakespeare knew nothing about the world in which we now live, but his words are still relatable to us.”

Rosemary Richards and Louis Altman play the title characters in the production. When it comes to the setting of the play, Rosemary has a fondness for it.

“It’s based in a kind of environment that I grew up in a lot of ways,” said Richards. “It’s like this small-town community that are simultaneously very close but then you know everyone’s business. But at the same time there’s a lot of love in that community.”

The houses are close together on stage, like the Montagues and Capulets are next-door neighbors.

“It’s so interesting the fact that you’re next to each other, you hate each other, you grow up with these stories,” said Richards. “But then there’s true love right next door if you only take a chance to actually really look at the people that you live next to.”

Altman said having a modern adaptation can be enjoyable in terms of acting. Learning the Shakespearean language as well as creating a backstory for the character helped with preparing for the role. One example being his backstory with Rosaline and how he paid for her ice cream but was rejected.

“So then at the top of the play, the reason why he’s been out is because he’s trying to write a cute letter to her,” said Altman. “But he’s given up, he’s out of ideas. Because he’s already failed like 10 times, so he’s trying to go there and have Benvolio cheer him up.”

This adaptation also has a musical number during the party scene. The cast performs a cover of “Up All Night” by The Lumineers. Richards said Johnston had the idea of incorporating the song into the scene because in the original play, there is a dance that commences throughout.

“Chris is one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever seen,” said Altman. “In the room rehearsing, he’ll have a guitar over top of him and a piano in front of him. He’ll be playing the guitar and then plucking notes on the piano for singers to know what notes they need to hit.”

It is not a coincidence that a play about romance happens to open on Valentine’s Day. Lesley Larsen made sure to keep the theme.

“While this does end tragically, spoiler alert,” said Larsen. “I think there’s such beauty in seeing first love happen on stage. Seeing the passion, the excitement and the butterflies. What a more perfect time to think about that. You don’t even have to be in a relationship to appreciate that. This is an excellent Galentine’s show, this is an excellent chance for a bromance to go out, or anyone to go out and experience love.”

“Romeo and Juliet” officially opens on February 14th at 7:00 PM. More days and showtimes can be found on The Wayne Theatre website at William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet – Wayne Theatre | Waynesboro, VA.