Last chance to see Romeo and Juliet

This archived article was written by: Valeria Moncada

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief that thou her maid art far more fair than she. Be not her maid, since she is envious.
Many know these lines from Shakespeare’s iconic love story, “Romeo & Juliet.” Performed on stages throughout the world over the past 450 years, the USU Eastern Theatre Department’s rendition continues this weekend on the stage of the Geary Theatre.
“The idea of the play was Grady’s [McEvoy], he wanted to go back to basics” said Lisha Michel –a cast member of Romeo & Juliet. McEvoy designed and built the set, Todd Olsen directed the play and Corey Ewan created the costumes.
Michel plays the nurse to Juliet, “My favorite scenes from the play are the ones where Bethany Woodruff and I get to act together,” she said.
“The audience learns a lot from the nurse in this play,” she said. They learn that Juliet is 13 years old, and her mother is 26, she was 13 when she had Juliet. “The relationship between the nurse and Juliet is much more than just a hired nurse, she feels more like Juliet’s mother. The reason for this is because Juliet and her mom don’t really have a close relationship. What the nurse shows the audience is that family doesn’t necessarily have to be your blood,” said Michel.
From a monologue in the play, the audience learns that the nurse had a daughter that was Juliet’s age and was also married, but both husband and daughter passed away. “She has been through a lot and she is still going; bad things may happen but we get through it,” she said.
“My favorite part about playing the nurse is that I get to be kind of like a naughty nurse,” Michel added.
“Personally, I feel like communication in any relationship is vital and “Romeo & Juliet” teaches us that. If Juliet would have just told her dad she was dating a Montague, the ending to the play could have been different,” Michel commented. “It was a love story that should have lasted until the end of time, but it was cut too short.” Michel says if she were to choose the ending to the play she would have it end with Romeo and Juliet running away together.
“The play opened up a new world for me, the more I understood it the more it changed the story for me. Love is a beautiful thing and if people come to see the play they might see the story of “Romeo & Juliet” a bit more clearly,” she said.
Some of the things Michel looks forward to are the fights, “All the fights are definitely scenes to look forward to in “Romeo & Juliet,” they tend to get better and better every night.”
But something Michel doesn’t look forward to is closing night, “Grady definitely out did himself with the set, it’s beautiful and if anything people should definitely come out to see it,” Michel added.
Mitchell Ewan plays Escalus, prince of Verona. Webb Whatcott is Paris, a young nobleman. Seth Burgess plays Montague, Father of Romeo. Jerid Clark is Capulet, Father of Juliet.
Wilford Woodruff plays Romeo, son of Montague; Andrew Mahalik plays Mercutio. Brandon Wheeler is Benvolio, Tyrell Clement, plays Tybalt. Scott Zabroski Friar Laurnce. Tyree Scott Olsen plays Sampson, a servant to Capulet. Aaron Bone plays Gregory, servant to Capulet. Timothy Swensen plays Peter, servant to Juliet’s nurse; Shawn Forsyth plays Abraham, servant to Montague. You Xu Chuck plays n Apothecary,
Monica Parkinson plays Lady Montague, wife to Montague. Ann Morey plays Lady Capulet, wife to Capulet. Bethany Gilmor Woodruff plays Juliet, daughter to Capulet. And finally, Lisha Michel plays the Nurse to Juliet.
The play runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Geary Theatre. The box office opens at 6:45 p.m.