Topic: College of Fine Arts
September 11, 2013
One of the most beautifully written love stories in the history of its genre is coming to the Ball State stage. "Romeo and Juliet" will debut at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19 at University Theatre. The play also will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20-21 and 24-28, with a matinee scheduled at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 22.
Michael Daehn, associate professor of theater education, will direct this latest production of the classic Shakespearean tragedy. The play's fight choreography is being coordinated by highly acclaimed guest artist Kevin Asselin.
"Romeo and Juliet" reveals to the audience a lesson of love, loss and fate, Daehn said. "You've heard people use the phrase 'I'm a lover, not a fighter.' One of the beauties of 'Romeo and Juliet' is that you get to be both a lover and a fighter," he said.
Iconic scenes such as Juliet's balcony delivery of the famous line, "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore are thou Romeo" are balanced with some of the most ferocious swordfights ever created for the stage, Daehn added.
"The High Renaissance period in Italy is also an exciting time for fashion, and our costume designers have taken full advantage of this in their designs," the director said. "Another intriguing aspect of this production is that the set design makes a statement about how similar the feuding families are — almost a mirror of each other."
Tickets for the performance cost $14 for the general public, $13 for faculty and staff, $10 for senior citizens, and $8 for students. They are available from the University Theatre Box Office, open from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and one hour before each performance. Contact the box office at 765-285-8749 or visit www.bsu.edu/theatre for more information.
By Megan Fizer