A Romeo & Juliet Prequel? Yes, and you can see it FREE!
What caused the feud between the Montagues and Capulets? Audiences find out when LADY CAPULET, a prequel to William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, returns to New York for a free pop-up performance at the Bernie Wohl Center, 647 Columbus Avenue in Manhattan, on Saturday Oct 2, at 2 pm as part of the award program.
Nominated “Most Memorable Modern Updates & Adaptations of 2020” by New York Shakespeare, LADY CAPULET follows the journey of Rose from country girl to matriarch, navigating her repression and power in 16th century Verona when family, money, and gender determine everything. “Tantalizing” said RoundTheWorldStage.com
The title role of Rose Capulet is played by Jianzi Colón-Soto, recently seen as young Sonia Sotomayor in Atlantic Theatre’s SHE PERS
ISTED, based on the stories by Chelsea Clinton. Ms Colón-Soto originated the role of Rose in Barefoot Shakespeare’s Central Park production. She is joined by the other originating players, Andrew Dunn, a member of Infinite Variety Productions; Preston Fox (THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST); Jefferson Reardon (PROSLOGIAN On-Demand Series), and Marlena Holman (MARY STUART/Pigeonholed) as The Nurse.
Original music was composed by Graham Russell of Air Supply, performed live by the Lady Capulet Quartet: Hunter Fink on guitar, Emily Duncan on flute, Violet Wang on cello, and Laura Zawarski on baroque violin. Sally Ann Parsons, a Tony Award honoree for Excellence in Theater, designed the costumes worn by Miss Colón-Soto.
LADY CAPULET, a Henley Rose Playwriting Competition Finalist, was written by Playwright/Theatre-maker Melissa Bell, one of 3,000 New York City-based artists to receive $5,000 through the City Artist Corps Grants program, presented by The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), with support from the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) as well as Queens Theatre.
LADY CAPULET is directed by Emily Gallagher, Founder and Artistic Director of Barefoot Shakespeare Company, the Producer of this performance with developmental support from CreateTheater, a theatre company founded by producer Cate Cammarata.
Seating is limited, and audience members must RSVP at LadyCapuletPlay@gmail.com to reserve a seat.
Audience members must show proof of vaccination and wear a mask at all times. See COVD information below.
The October 2nd performance is a FREE performance thanks to the City Artist Corp Grant. Members of the public can participate in City Artist Corps Grants programming by following the hashtag #CityArtistCorps on social media.
City Artist Corps Grants was launched in June 2021 by NYFA and DCLA with support from the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) as well as Queens Theatre. The program is funded by the $25 million New York City Artist Corps recovery initiative announced by Mayor de Blasio and DCLA earlier this year. The grants are intended to support NYC-based working artists who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
COVID: All LADY CAPULET cast members and creatives are vaccinated against COVID 19. Bernie Wohl Center requires that everyone over 12 who enters the building show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test (within 5 days). While onsite, everyone should stay masked and socially distanced. Audience members must provide contact information in case tracing procedures need to be activated. The Bernie Wohl Center undergoes deep cleaning to ensure a healthy and properly sanitized environment. To that end, it has three air purifiers that will be used in all active spaces for extra circulation support.
Bernie Wohl Center 647 Columbus Avenue, btw 91st and 92nd Streets, New York, NY
RSVP: LadyCapuletPlay@gmail.com or 917-940-9811 for more information
