January 15, 2011

Welcome

    Don't miss auditions for Romeo & Juliet at the Barrow tomorrow at 2 PM.  The cast of characters include:

 Romeo: The son and heir of Montague and Lady
Montague. A young man of about sixteen, Romeo is
handsome, intelligent, and sensitive. Though impulsive
and immature, his idealism and passion make him an
extremely likable character. He lives in the middle of a
violent feud between his family and the Capulets, but
he is not at all interested in violence.

Juliet: The daughter of Capulet and Lady Capulet. A
beautiful thirteen-year-old girl, Juliet begins the play as a
naïve child who has thought little about love and
marriage, but she grows up quickly upon falling in love
with Romeo, the son of her family’s great enemy.

Friar Lawrence: A Franciscan friar, friend to both Romeo
and Juliet. Kind, civic-minded, a proponent of
moderation, and always ready with a plan, Friar
Lawrence secretly marries the impassioned lovers in
hopes that the union might eventually bring peace to
Verona.

Mercutio: A kinsman to the Prince, and Romeo’s close
friend. One of the most extraordinary characters in all of
Shakespeare’s plays, Mercutio overflows with
imagination, wit, and, at times, a strange, biting satire
and brooding fervor.

The Nurse: Juliet’s nurse, the woman who breast-fed
Juliet when she was a baby and has cared for Juliet her
entire life. A vulgar, long-winded, and sentimental
character, the Nurse provides comic relief with her
frequently inappropriate remarks and speeches.

Tybalt: A Capulet, Juliet’s cousin on her mother’s side.
Vain, fashionable, supremely aware of courtesy and the
lack of it, he becomes aggressive, violent, and quick to
draw his sword when he feels his pride has been injured.

Capulet: The patriarch of the Capulet family, father of
Juliet, husband of Lady Capulet, and enemy, for
unexplained reasons, of Montague. He truly loves his
daughter, though he is not well acquainted with Juliet’s
thoughts or feelings, and seems to think that what is best
for her is a “good” match with Paris.

Lady Capulet: Juliet’s mother, Capulet’s wife. A woman
who herself married young (by her own estimation she
gave birth to Juliet at close to the age of fourteen), she is
eager to see her daughter marry Paris.

Montague: Romeo’s father, the patriarch of the
Montague clan and bitter enemy of Capulet. At the
beginning of the play, he is chiefly concerned about
Romeo’s melancholy.

Lady Montague: Romeo’s mother, Montague’s wife. She
dies of grief after Romeo is exiled from Verona.

Paris: A kinsman of the Prince, and the suitor of Juliet
most preferred by Capulet.

Benvolio: Montague’s nephew, Romeo’s cousin and
thoughtful friend, he makes a genuine effort to defuse
violent scenes in public places, though Mercutio accuses
him of having a nasty temper in private

Prince Escalus: The Prince of Verona. A kinsman of
Mercutio and Paris.

Friar John: A Franciscan friar charged by Friar Lawrence
with taking the news of Juliet’s false death to Romeo in
Mantua.

Balthasar: Romeo’s dedicated servant, who brings
Romeo the news of Juliet’s death, unaware that her
death is a ruse.

Sampson and Gregory: Two servants of the house of
Capulet, who, like their master, hate the Montagues.

Abraham: Montague’s servant, who fights with Sampson
and Gregory in the first scene of the play.

The Apothecary: An apothecary in Mantua.

Peter: A Capulet servant who invites guests to Capulet’s
feast and escorts the Nurse to meet with Romeo. He is
illiterate, and a bad singer.

Rosaline: The woman with whom Romeo is infatuated at
the beginning of the play.

The Chorus: The Chorus is a single character who
functions as a narrator offering
commentary on the play’s

      Hope to see you.
                                                                         Peg Hennessy, Director