Reading of William Shakespeare's Tragedy Romeo and Juliet, April 7
March 18, 2009
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
William Shakespeare's tragic romance, Romeo and Juliet, will be staged as a reading at the University of Baltimore on Tuesday, April 7, at 8:15 p.m. as part of Spotlight UB's spring season. Free and open to the public, it will take place in the Student Center Performing Arts Theater, 21 W. Mt. Royal Ave.
An early play of Shakespeare's, Romeo and Juliet was popular in his lifetime, and, since its first performance in 1597, has defined the archetype of lovers.
Director Peter Toran has edited the text to an hour and a half running time and is focusing on the tragedy of the two lovers' brief experience of intense emotion. The cast will be seated onstage in a Brechtian style to demonstrate the powerful influence of the parents' feud on the young lovers and its violent push to their deaths.
Toran has worked as an actor, writer and director; his credits include the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, the Guthrie in Minneapolis and numerous off-Broadway productions. His play The Gambit earned the Julie Harris Playwright Award from the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild. Toran teaches writing and serves as vice president of planning and external relations at UB.
Romeo and Juliet is cast with a mix of UB and local actors, featuring Scarlett Corso and Paul Wissman in the lead roles.
Spotlight UB features concerts by artists from the worlds of classical, folk and ethnic musical traditions, as well as live comedy, drama, and one-of-a-kind performances. By staging Shakespearean classics, Spotlight ties its programming to curriculum and involves community artists on campus. Details on upcoming events in the 2008-09 Spotlight UB season are available at www.ubalt.edu/studentcenter.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the School of Law, the Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts and the Merrick School of Business.