On Friday, Nov. 3, Shuswap Theatre opens its 2017/18 season with William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. “Here is a moving story of ancient feud and youthful love that has captivated audiences for hundreds of years,” says Shuswap Theatre rep Hamilton McClymont. “Still, the play remains astonishingly modern, as the cast is discovering under the expert direction of professional director Liz Hobbs.”
Playing the star-crossed lovers are Ali Balloun (Juliet Capulet) and Alex Delaney (Romeo Montague). Ali, a recent grad of Salmon Arm Secondary, where she performed in Big Rock Candy Mountain last year, studies at Okanagan College.
A student at Salmon Arm Secondary, Delaney appeared in Stereotype High last season.
On the Montague side, Romeo is supported by Mercutio (Uther Radcliffe), Benvolio (Bethany Riley) and Balthazar (Nicole Congdon).
Standing for the Capulets are Tybalt (Ashley Honaizer), Gregory (Jaci Metivier) and Sampson (Brook Derksen). Caught in the middle are Paris (Carter Robert), who is intended for Juliet, and his page (Claire Hall).
Of these young actors, Bethany is home schooled, Nicole, Ashley, Carter and Claire are at Salmon Arm Secondary, and Brook is a SAS grad.
Many of the more senior members of the company are well known to Shuswap Theatre audiences. Playing Juliet’s Nurse is Julia Body, a teacher of English and a member of the company both as an actor and a director for more than 25 years.
Kim MacMillan, director of last year’s hit Mary Poppins and recently elected president of Shuswap Theatre, plays Friar Laurence, who secretly performs the marriage of Romeo and Juliet.
Heading up the feuding families are Frank Manning (Capulet), Pamela Dettwiler (Lady Capulet), Peter Molnar (Montague), and Marcia Beckner (Lady Montague).
Between them, these four actors have more than 105 years of experience with Shuswap Theatre.
Rounding out the cast are Randy Brogden, Sarah Johnston, Griffin Webber and Hamilton McClymont.
“Romeo and Juliet” runs Nov. 3 to 18, Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are available at Intwined Fibre Arts (across from the Salmon Arm Aart Gallery) and online at shuswaptheatre.com
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