2008 Woodie Awards
"Romeo" rotates with "West Side"
Michael DiGrande
Issue date: 4/8/08 Section: Arts and Entertainment
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They are accounts of epic struggles and archetypes that leave huge marks through all manner of cultures.
These scenarios are so profoundly influential that a variety of artists use them to fit the current zeitgeist, carrying over the large themes of these stories in a fashion that best suites the era.
Sonoma State University's double-bill production of "Romeo & Juliet" and "West Side Story" is no exception.
The deliberate choice to run these productions together has been waiting in the wings for quite sometime and it will finally coalesce in Person Theatre for a 5 week run starting on Apr. 10 through May 11. The performances will altern
ate, with "Romeo & Juliet" opening on Apr. 10 and "West Side Story" on Apr. 17, both at 7:30 p.m.
To help tell these huge stories, the university made the careful decision to appoint the directing positions to Paul Draper and Amanda McTigue.
"Any time I approach a work, I see what I can do to make it really stand out from everything beforehand." said Draper, "Nobody wants to see the familiar, and I'd like people to look on this story with a fresh set of eyes."
Yet while "West Side Story's" creative roots have their beginnings in William Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet," the productions will be vastly different from one another.
In fact both productions will be "contemporary" takes on their original counter parts. While things such as Shakespearean flavored dialogue and big musical numbers will remain intact, these productions will be using contemporary clothes and rather abstract set pieces to tell these stories.
"People might be surprised to see a lot less 'snapping' in West Side." said SSU junior, Christina Ratajczak, who plays a member of the Sharks in "West Side Story."
While purists might find these creative choices straying dangerously away from the original aesthetics, these unique choices will allow the productions to seamlessly fit in today's world.
"We've been doing some interesting things with choreography too." said Ratajczak, "There are very specific feels in our fight scenes compared to our dancing, unlike how the original blended the two."
The heart of both these productions, however, seems to be in the way both casts have worked on character development to tell these tales.
The cast of "Romeo & Juliet" spent three weeks merely analyzing the text, perfecting objectives and character subtleties to bring these people to life and aid in staging. "West Side Story," on the other hand, balanced large dance sequences alongside improvisational work to form real characters for the production.
"In rehearsal, we call the piece 'West Side Stories' because every person on stage will be moving through his or her own arc of the story." said McTigue.
As well as solid character formation, both shows are promising distinctly unique components to create these worlds. Many of the actors in "Romeo & Juliet" went through extensive training for the elaborate sword fights the combat requires.
Their instruction in various fencing styles will add authenticity to their fight scenes.
And as much as the elaborate company numbers are a part of "West Side Story," so is music of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. Lynne Marrow organized the music for the production, having worked with McTigue on other SSU shows such as "The Magic Flute" and "Krank."
The cast also labored tirelessly all fall semester to get a grasp on Sondheim's tongue twisting lyrics, and they'll have the benefit of a live orchestra accompanying them during the performances.
The process has certainly been an organic one, where both casts and crews took their time to explore every facet of these texts.
And it looks like this double-bill production does a great deal to honor its roots as well as lends itself to the present.
Both directors have put a strong emphasis on how the scope of both these productions ring true not only in their stage forms, but what they mean for us as human beings.
In the end, they are confident their casts and crews will display these relevant stories with passion and heart.
Admission is free for SSU students, $15 for general, and $8 for seniors.
Contact the Center for Performing Arts Box Office at (707) 664-2353, for more information.
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