II.i anything, of nothing first created

A Storie of more Wo

Two powerful feuding families crumble as the youth and fresh blossoms of their lineage fall in love and self implode with the help of their best friends and a mischievous holy man.

[Act I; Act breakdowns are imaginative, Shakespeare's version is an epic poem with scattered cues and stage directions, so lets say Day 1 instead.]

The Montague and Capulet families explode onto stage in the third recent public brawl to escalate tensions between the powerful family monopolies and the ruling government. The Montague parents send the ultimate mediator Benvolio to inquire why their son might have issues. Benvolio discovers Romeo's mood is linked to the "white wench's black eye", more specifically a young lady named Rosaline who won't surrender chastity quite so easily. Benvolio, instead of reporting back to the parents, enlists Romeo to a feast at the forbidden Capulet fortress to compare Rosaline to other "fresh fennel buds". The boys discover the party through the mishaps of an illiterate messenger to the Capulet family and arrive through affiliation (and some delay) with plot device character incarnate Mercutio, a kinsman to the Prince.

Meanwhile, Juliet, the 13 year old daughter to the Capulets, is getting signed away through marriage to the Countie Paris, a government personage. The Capulet feast goes swimmingly, with the daughter of the head of household making out with the masked son of their bitter enemy. Tybalt, a "fiery" cousin to Juliet's and prone to duels, realizes Romeo has infiltrated the party and unsuccessfully tries to kill him in front of every one, prevented perforce by the elder Capulet.

While Mercutio and Benvolio leave the party, Romeo hops a fence and stalks Juliet to the romantic and memorable balcony scene, where they decide to be married promptly at 9 am the following day. Romeo, instead of getting sleep heads direct to Friar Lawrence the mysterious "ghostly confessor" to both families.

[End Day 1]

happy nights to happy daies

"The guests are come, supper serv'd up, you cal'd, my young Lady askt for, the Nurse cursed in the Pantery, and every thing in extremitie: I must hence to wait, I beseech you follow straight."              I.iv

Camp is bustling, busy, and bursting with life. Sunday brunches and late night feasts.

Set: Strike is struck with ground cleared for the backstage tents and the floated balcony. We have constructed a 1/2" scale model of the site to finalize concepts and lock down design shortly.

Costumes: Design is High Fashion with a timeless setting. Must permit dancing, fighting, and other movements. Also rain.

Traffic: Movement has been prevalent, fitting a read through of the play amongst days of dance choreography and stage combat. Focus is concentrated on a high energy start to the play to set a pace.

ACT II: our toil shall strive to mend

Two households, 

both alike in dignity,

In fair Verona where we lay our scene. 

From ancient grudge BREAK

to new mutiny

where civil BLOOD

makes civil hands 

unclean. 

From forth the FATAL loins of these two foes

a pair of STAR CROSSED LOVERS

take their life. 

Whose 

MISADVENTURED 

PITEOUS 

OVERTHROWS

do with their DEATH

bury their parents strive. 

The FEARFUL passage 

of their DEATH marked LOVE

and the continuance of their parents RAGE, 

which, but their children's DEATH 

naught could remove,

is now the two hours traffic of our stage. 

The which, 

if you with patient ears attend, 

what here shall miss,

OUR TOIL SHALL STRIVE TO MEND. 

ACT II

JUNE 2013