Stage2: Romeo & Juliet 2019

Student Matinee Performances: May 23-31, 2019 | Public Performance: May 31 at 7pm

Carling-Sorenson Theater, Babson College, Wellesley

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Adam Sanders

About Student Matinees

Student matinee performances will be held the following days/times. To inquire about booking or for any questions about student performances, please contact Victoria Townsend at 781-239-5974 or at  vtownsend@commshakes.org 

Thursday, May 23 at 10 A.M. (Limited availability! 11 tickets left!)
Friday, May 24 at 11 A.M.  SOLD OUT
Tuesday, May 28 at 10 A.M. SOLD OUT
Wednesday, May 29 at 10 A.M. (Limited availability! 26 tickets left!)
Thursday, May 30 at 10 A.M. (Limited availability! 79 tickets left!)
Friday, May 31 at 11 A.M.  SOLD OUT

NEW DATES ADDED!
Monday, June 3 at 10 A.M. SOLD OUT
Tuesday, June 4 at 10 A.M. SOLD OUT

$8 per person (student or chaperone)
School groups also have the option of staying for a free post-show talk-back with the actors.

There will also be one performance open to the public on Friday, May 31 at 7pm. 

Support for this production is provided in part by Youth in Philanthropy at Foundation for MetroWest.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Needham Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. 

Additional support provided by the Paul and Edith Babson Foundation.

 

Who is Romeo & Juliet appropriate for?

Stage2 productions are presented using Shakespeare’s original text, cut for length to approximately under 2 hours without intermission. Our cuts focus on highlighting the themes, ideas and language that will resonate strongly for a student audience. Our creative team and performers make choices that serve to illuminate the storytelling for this audience without “watering down” the source material. School groups have the option of staying for a short post-show talk-back with the actors.

This year’s Stage2 production is created with a 9th grade curriculum/audience in mind. Romeo & Juliet touches on themes and imagery of violence, suicide and romance/sexuality which may be challenging for younger viewers; however, we encourage educators and/or parents to read the play being presented and make the best choice for their students of any age. We recommend discussing the context of these scenes with your students before and after you view our production. Students are welcome to step out into the lobby at any time with a chaperone should they so choose. Please use the information and graphic below to gain a better idea of what to expect from this year’s play and let us know if you have specific questions about content.

About CSC2

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s Stage2 Performance Series provides the opportunity for students and their teachers to attend high-quality live theater created with them in mind. These abridged productions use Shakespeare’s original text, and focus on the themes and stories that will resonate most with young audiences. Performed by our young professional CSC2 Acting Company, these performances bring together the next generation of actors with the next generation theater goers.

CSC2 is a company of young actors that works with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company to further develop skills in classical acting through performance, artistic and professional development, and through different educational and coaching settings.  The ensemble is built of twelve, non-Equity, early-career actors with some professional experience. 

Cast

Erika Anclade
Juliet

Erika Anclade  A recent grad of Yale University. She played the Mistress in Passion at the Yale School of Drama and Lady Macbeth in her senior thesis production of Macbeth. Her NY credits include the Off-Broadway revival of Fiorello! (Classic Stage Company) and a reading of Better Than Dreaming, a new musical, at the York Theatre Company.

Malikah McHerrin-Cobb
Prince Escalus

Malikah McHerrin-Cobb is making her CSC debut in Romeo & Juliet. Malikah, a graduate of SCAD, is an actress, who was nominated by Broadway World in 2017 as Best Actress in a Play for Native Son in Atlanta. Instagram: @thesouthernboheme

Chet R. Davino
Paris

Chet R. Davino is incredibly excited to be joining CSC for their 2019 season.  Since graduating Dean College’s School of the Arts in 2014, he has been working as an actor and fight choreographer for community and professional theaters around the northeast. His recent work includes performing as Melchior (Spring Awakening, The Warner Theater), Prince Eric (The Little Mermaid, Company Theater), & JD (Heathers, Enter Stage Left).

Zachary Gibb
Friar Laurence
Zachary Gibb
Friar Laurence

Zachary Gibb is an actor from Providence, Rhode Island. Previous productions include Inherit the Wind at the Ocean State Theatre Company as well as many shows at Swamp Meadow Community Theatre. He has trained at The Gamm Theatre, and has spent the last six years working as a software engineer.

John Hardin
Mercutio

John Hardin is excited and grateful to be making his CSC debut. Previous Shakespeare credits include the title role in Hamlet (Adirondack Shakespeare Company), Ferdinand in The Tempest (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival), and The Porter in Macbeth (Shakespeare on the Sound). In addition to his acting work, John is a chess teacher and coach with clients all over the country. Training: Stella Adler Studio (NYU Tisch)

Gregory Hermann
Romeo

Gregory Hermann is a graduate of the Experimental Theatre Wing and Classical Studio at New York University.

Ashley Knaack
Nurse

Ashley Knaack is a recent BFA Musical Theatre graduate of Shenandoah Conservatory.  Her conservatory credits include Hecuba in The Trojan Women, Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret, Victoria Woodhull in Onward Victoria, and Elizabeth Welsh in Blue Stockings. Professionally, Ashley has appeared in My Fair Lady, Sweeney Todd, and The Pirates of Penzance with Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre and in 5-Star Theatricals’ Beauty and the Beast, and as Mrs. Spencer in 4-Leaf Theatricals’ Merrily We Roll Along.

Mihir Kumar
Benvolio

Mihir Kumar is making his debut with CSC. Recent credits include: Regional: Shakespeare Theatre Company: Richard III. International: The Australian Shakespeare Company (Melbourne): The Comedy of Errors. Training: UCLA: BA in Communication Studies & Theatre; American Conservatory Theater; National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). Web: Instagram: mihir.is.here.

Armand Lane
Lord Capulet
Armand Lane
Lord Capulet

Armand Lane is classically trained in both stage and voice.  He has worked in productions ranging from the classics to musicals in off-Broadway houses, regional theaters, and even a fort from time to time. Recent credits include Measure for Measure (Angelo), Silence! The Musical (Crawford/Papa Shtarling), and King Lear (Cornwall). @armand.lane

Brian Pollock
Peter

Brian Pollock is an actor-director, clown teacher, and resident actor at the Flea Theater in NYC. Brian is thrilled to return to CSC. Since his apprenticeship in 2013. NYC: Not My Monster, Serials (Flea), The Witch of St. Elmora Street (Wolfpack Theatrics). CSC: The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Cymbeline. Italy: The Iliad, Captain Gloriosus (Continuum Company). Film: “At the End of the EPA” (Musical Short, Hackstage). Brian received a BFA in Drama at NYU Tisch.

Michael Underhill
Tybalt

Michael Underhill previously appeared at CSC in Cymbeline, Othello, Two Gentleman of Verona (u/s), Macbeth (CSC2), Richard III, and Romeo & Juliet (CSC2). He is a graduate from Northeastern University and a Boston born and bred actor. Additional roles include the title role in King John (Praxis Stage), Actor #1 in Hotel Nepenthe (Brown Box Theatre) and Joseph Surface in School for Scandal (Actors’ Shakespeare Project). Other regional credits include the Huntington Theatre, SpeakEasy Stage, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Central Square Theatre and imaginary beasts. Find out more at www.michaeljunderhill.com 

Sarah Vasilevsky
Lady Capulet
Sarah Vasilevsky
Lady Capulet

Sarah Vasilevsky is excited to be joining CSC once again, for their performances of Romeo & Juliet (Lady Capulet) and Cymbeline.  Recent favorite credits include; Measure for Measure (Isabella; CSC Apprentice Program), Romeo & Juliet (Benvolio, Lady Capulet, Shakespeare Now!), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena, Titania, Shakespeare Now!). Sarah has recently graduated from Suffolk University where she studied Theatre, with a focus in Acting. SarahVasilevsky.org

Creative Team

Adam Sanders
Director

Adam Sanders is the Associate Artistic Director at CSC. He serves as director of the Apprentice Program, and is the director and originator of CSC2, a cohort of early-career actors. Directing credits for CSC include: Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Julius Caesar (CSC2 Company), Symphonic Shakespeare, (in collaboration with Boston Landmarks Orchestra at the Boston Hatch Shell); co-director: Kiss Me Kate, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Boys From Syracuse (also BLO/Hatch Shell collaborations), co-director/dramaturg: Shakespeare and Leadership (2013 – 2017), and CSCs unprecedented Shakespeare at Fenway performance in 2014; director: Shakespeare and the Law (2017).

William Shakespeare
Playwright

William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon. His birthday is most commonly celebrated on 23 April, which is also believed to be the date on which he died in 1616. Shakespeare was a prolific writer during the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages of British theatre (sometimes referred to as the English Renaissance or the Early Modern Period). Shakespeare’s plays are perhaps his most enduring legacy, but they are not the only things he wrote. Shakespeare’s poetry has also remained popular to this day.

Shakespeare’s work includes 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, a collection of 154 sonnets, and other poems as well. No original manuscripts of Shakespeare’s plays are known to exist today, and about half of Shakespeare’s plays are only available to us because a group of actors in his company collected them for publication after his death. These writings were brought together in what is known as the First Folio (‘Folio’ refers to the size of the paper used). It contained 36 of his plays, and none of his poetry. Shakespeare’s legacy is as rich and diverse as his work; his plays have spawned countless adaptations across multiple genres and cultures, and his plays have had an enduring presence on stage and film.

His writings have been compiled in various iterations of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by different entities, which usually include all of his plays, his sonnets, and his other poems. From Stratford to London and beyond, William Shakespeare was and is one of the most important literary figures of the English language.

 

Jeffrey Petersen
Scenic Design
Jeffrey Petersen
Scenic Design

Jeffrey Petersen returns to CSC after designing last season’s Stage2 production of Romeo and Juliet and after assisting Clint Ramos on the recent productions of Birdy and Death and the MaidenRecent New England design credits include: Maria Regina dInghlterra (Odyssey Opera) Mary StuartEveryman (NEU) Barefoot in the Park, The Agitators (Gloucester Stage Co.); Becoming Dr. Ruth, Lonely Planet, Statements, Unveiled (New Repertory Theatre); Book Club Play, Elemeno Pea, Lost Tempo, Equal Writes,The Honey Trap (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre); As Associate Designer with Mr. Ramos: The Purists (The Huntington Theatre) MFA Boston University.  jeffreypetersendesign.com

Karen Perlow
Lighting Design
Karen Perlow
Lighting Design

Karen Perlow has been based in Boston for over 25 years and has designed the lighting for over 200 productions. Her work has been seen at Boston Symphony Orchestra, Merrimack Repertory Theater, Speakeasy Stage Company, Lyric Stage Company, Actors’ Shakespeare Project, Central Square
Theater, New Repertory Theatre ,Boston Playwrights’ Theater, Boston Midsummer Opera, and Shakespeare & Company. Karen has taught Lighting Design at MIT and Northeastern University, and has been a guest designer at Boston Conservatory, Boston College, Brandeis University, and Emerson
College. She is proud to serve as the treasurer of the Theater Community Benevolent Fund, and is a member of the United Scenic Artists’ Union. She is the recipient of several IRNE Awards for Best Lighting Design, as well as the NYC SOLO Fest 2013. This is her first collaboration with CSC.

Miranda Giurleo
Costume Design
Miranda Giurleo
Costume Design

Miranda Kau Giurleo has previously designed Macbeth, Julius Caesar and Midsummer Night’s Dream for CSC’s Second Stage.  Regional credits include: Native Gardens, The Heath, The Royale, A Christmas Carol, Chill  (Merrimack Repertory Theatre), Allegiance, The Scottsboro Boys (SpeakEasy Stage Company), Dry Land, Shockheaded Peter, She Kills Monsters, Neighbors (Company One), Richard III, Measure for Measure, As You Like It (Actor’s Shakespeare Project), The Convert, Matchless & The Happy Prince, Roots of Liberty (Underground Railway Theatre), True West, Dancing at Lughnasa, The Effect, The New Electric Ballroom, Totalitarians (Gloucester Stage Company).  Miranda is also on the faculty at Bridgewater State University where designs include Gypsy, Assassins, and Young Frankenstein.

Dewey Dellay
Sound Design
Dewey Dellay
Sound Design

Dewey Dellay is happy to be part of CSC again after working on Blue Kettle and Here We Go here, which was included in The Boston Globes Top Ten. Some other of his recent shows have been The Bakelite MasterpieceIdeation, Thurgood (New Rep); Anna Christie and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Lyric Stage Company); and Constellations (Underground Railway Theater) which won an Elliot Norton award. In past years he has received an Elliot Norton award for Outstanding Design and an IRNE for Best Sound Design. His television credits include original music for Emmy nominated National Geographic’s China’s Mystery Mummies, Discovery Channel’s Miami Jail, and he was the composer for five seasons of the show Our America with Lisa Ling for the OWN Channel. He presently is contributing music to This is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN, and composing music for digital children’s books produced by Live Oak Media.

Sally Tomasetti
Props Artisan
Sally Tomasetti
Props Artisan

Sally Tomasetti is pleased to return to CSC having recently worked on Birdy, Universe Rushing Apart and Birdy.  A freelance set and props designer working with Next Generation Theatre Company, Boston Improv, Walpole Children’s Theatre, Uncommon Theatre Company and Needham Explorations. Sally is an artist that specializes in portraits and liturgical art. Each spring and summer Sally’s joy is to teach Theatre and Set design classes, educating the next generation in the wonders of backstage theater.

Leilani Ricardo
Fight/Movement
Leilani Ricardo
Fight/Movement

Leilani Ricardo is a Boston based performing artist and educator.  An alum of Dean College where she studied both Dance and Theater, she has been working in Boston since 2013 when she served as an Apprentice and dance captain with CSC.  She is also a skilled martial artist who has trained in multiple disciplines including more than a decade of training in Escrima: Ms. Ricardo holds a 5th degree black belt in Kenpo-Jujitsu. As a performer, Ms. Ricardo has appeared with fringe and regional theaters through out New England including the Imaginary Beasts, Boston Theater Company, and Praxis Stage. She has both acted and danced at Outside the Box, served as assistant choreographer to Yo-el Cassell and danced with NEA recipient Kat Nasti Dance. She is proud to have taught and coached artists who have gone on to to attend Boston Conservatory, Kirov Academy, and her own Alma Mater. She has served as choreographer, dance captain, assistant fight choreographer, movement coach/captain, and with choreographer for theater productions across New England and is excited for the chance to bring her diverse movement background to the world of the Bard.  Ms. Ricardo currently works as the Director of Education at Urbanity Dance.

Rachel Corning
Stage Manager
Rachel Corning
Stage Manager

Rachel Corning returns to CSC for the Stage2 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Since 2016, she has worked in various technical capacities with companies throughout the Boston and North Shore areas. Select credits include Deal Me Out (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre), A Christmas Celtic Sojourn (WGBH), TrayfCardboard Piano (New Repertory Theatre), Romeo & JulietBirdyBlue Kettle/Here We GoMacbeth, Old Money, Death and the Maiden (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company), A Christmas CarolSunset Boulevard, Jersey BoysJekyll and Hyde (North Shore Music Theatre). Rachel holds a BA in Communications from Simmons University and is a native of Ipswich, MA, where she first discovered her love for theatre in sixth grade.

Kristen Mazzocchi
Production Manager
Kristen Mazzocchi
Production Manager

Kristen Mazzocchi is an experienced arts educator, director and production manager. She holds a BA in Theatre and Economics from Boston College and a Master’s in Education from Harvard University. Kristen began her career at the Boch Center for the Performing Arts working in their arts education program. She went on to work as Production Manager and Director of Education for Celebrity Series of Boston. Kristen is currently a freelance teaching artist, director and production manager working with many schools and arts organizations in the Boston area. Current and past clients include: New England Conservatory of Music, Improv Asylum, Needham Public Schools and Needham Community Theatre. She also serves as Chair of the Needham Cultural Council.

Kimberly Gaughan
Assistant Director
Kimberly Gaughan
Assistant Director

Kimberly Gaughan is a Boston-based theatre artist. She holds an MFA in Acting from the University of South Carolina and BA in Theatre from the University of Notre Dame, where she served as an adjunct faculty member and acted with the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival. Recent acting credits include Judith in Equivocation (Actors’ Shakespeare Project),  Nina in The Seagull, Sophie in Flight and Henrietta Leavitt in Silent Sky (Center for Performance Experiment). Kimberly regularly trains in Suzuki and Slow Tempo with the Pacific Performance Project/East and in Noh with Theatre Nohgaku and the Kita School. www.kimberlygaughan.com

Carling-Sorenson Theater
19 College Drive Babson College
231 Forest Street
Babson Park (Wellesley), MA 02457

Driving Directions to Babson College/Sorenson Center for the Arts

From the east: Take the Massachusetts Turnpike to Exit 15 (Interstate 95/Route 128). After the tolls, follow signs to Route 95/128 South to Exit 21 (Route 16 Newton/Wellesley) …

From the west: Take the Massachusetts Turnpike to Exit 14 (Interstate 95/Route 128). After the tolls, follow signs to Route 95/128 South to Exit 21 (Route 16 Newton/Wellesley) … From the south: Follow Route 95/128 North to Exit 21 (Route 16 Newton/Wellesley) …

From the north: Follow Route 95/128 South to Exit 21 (Route 16 Newton/Wellesley) …

Then … At end of the off ramp, follow signs for Route 16 West (Washington Street). Continue on Route 16 West for 2 miles through Newton Lower Falls and Wellesley Hills. Turn left onto Forest Street and follow for 1 mile to Babson College; the main entrance is on the right. Turn left onto Map Hill Drive and park in the Trim Parking Lot. The theater is a short walk away, on College Drive.

Trim Parking Lot is the best place to park when attending events at the Sorenson Center for the Arts.  As you enter on Forest Street, make a left at the first stop sign unto Map Hill Drive.  On your right will be a smaller lot, Hollister Lot. If there is space available, patrons may park there.  However, Trim Parking Lot is preferred which will be on the left hand side after you pass the Hollister lot.  To walk to the theater, walk back towards the stop sign and make a left at the Hollister building.  Continue walking straight past Reynolds Campus Center and the Sorenson Center for the Arts will be the next building.

Handicap parking is available in the Hollister Lot, on Map Hill Drive.  We also recommend that patrons with mobility issues be dropped off in front of the theater before your party finds parking in Hollister or Trim lot for your convenience. 

From the Amtrak Terminal at South Station

You have two options:

1) Take the Framingham/Worcester Commuter rail to Wellesley Hills. From South Station, take the Framingham/Worcester commuter rail to Wellesley Hills. Depending on the time of day, regularly scheduled trains leave South Station at ½ to 2-hour intervals (Monday-Friday), and 1-to 3-hour intervals (Saturday and Sunday). The trip takes approximately 30 minutes. Purchase your ticket in the station. Then, call a taxi from Wellesley Hills. (See Area Taxis, below.)

2) Take the “T.” From South Station, take the MBTA subway Red Line inbound two stops to Park Street. Walk upstairs and take the Green Line outbound Riverside D train to Woodland, the next to last stop on the D line. Allow an hour for the trip. Then, take a taxi from Woodland to Babson. (See Area Taxis, below.)

For complete information about Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) services, including specific maps, schedules, and fares for trains, buses, and subways, please visit the MBTA web site.

By Taxi

Veteran’s Taxi (781) 449-8294 Wellesley Transportation (781) 235-2200 The Babson campus is handicap accessible.

What is the running time of the production?

The performance runs approximately under 2 hours without intermission.

For student matinees, each performance is followed by a talk back with the cast which will last no more than an additional half hour. Schools may choose to be dismissed before or after the talk back and can indicate this preference when booking.

What ages is the production appropriate for?

Stage2 productions are presented using Shakespeare’s original text, cut for length to approximately 1.5 hours without intermission. Our cuts focus on highlighting the themes, ideas and language that will resonate strongly for a student audience. Our creative team and performers make choices that serve to illuminate the storytelling for this audience without “watering down” the source material.

This year’s Stage2 production is created with a 9th grade curriculum/audience in mind. Romeo & Juliet touches on themes and imagery of violence, suicide and romance/sexuality which may be challenging for younger viewers; however, we encourage educators and/or parents to read the play being presented and make the best choice for their students of any age. We recommend discussing the context of these scenes with your students before and after you view our production. Students are welcome to step out into the lobby at any time with a chaperone should they so choose. Please use the information and graphic below to gain a better idea of what to expect from this year’s play and let us know if you have specific questions about content.

 

Is there handicap seating available?

Yes, there are several locations in the theater to accommodate wheelchairs.  For evening performances, call the box office at the Sorenson Center for the Arts to purchase these locations at 781-239-5880.

For student matinees, please indicate any seating needs during booking.

Are assisted listening devices available?

Yes, visit the box office for assisted listening devices.

When should I arrive?

The theater will open for seating roughly a half hour before curtain time.

We advise you give yourself plenty of time for parking and walking to the theater.

Where should I park?/How do I get to the theater after parking?

Trim Parking Lot is the best place to park when attending events at the Sorenson Center for the Arts.  As you enter on Forest Street, make a left at the first stop sign unto Map Hill Drive.  On your right will be a smaller lot, Hollister Lot. If there is space available, patrons may park there.  However, Trim Parking Lot is preferred which will be on the left hand side after you pass the Hollister lot.  To walk to the theater, walk back towards the stop sign and make a left at the Hollister building.  Continue walking straight past Reynolds Campus Center and the Sorenson Center for the Arts will be the next building.

For student matinees, buses may drop off and pickup directly in front of the theater. Arrival/dismissal instructions will be sent with your booking confirmation.

Are concessions available?

Although there is no food or drink permitted in the theater, food and drink are available for purchase in the Reynolds Campus Center next to the Sorenson Center for the arts.

For student matinees, students may bring bagged lunches to store under their seats for the duration of the show. No food or drink is to be consumed in the theater during the performance. If your school group would like to secure a space for students to eat in after the performance, please let us know at time of booking.

Are shows delayed or canceled for weather?

Audience and actor safety is our main concern.  In cases of heavy snow or extreme weather, we will cancel and try to reseat patrons into an alternative performance date.  Weather updates can be found on the homepage of our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

For student matinees, a member of our Audience Services team will be in touch with school group’s lead chaperone should there be any changes or cancellations to the performance.

If I miss the show, what are my options?

To reschedule for evening performances, call the box office at the Sorenson Center for the Arts at 781-239-5880 at least one business day before your reservation.  We will make our best efforts to seat you in another performance.  Seating will be based on availability.  It is not our policy to refund tickets but we are happy to reseat you on another date.  If you miss a production altogether, we will reseat you in an alternative production of your choice based on availability.

Can I take photos or video?

The taking of photos or video is strictly prohibited.

How can I support Commonwealth Shakespeare Company?

To make a donation or call 617-426-0863.  Click on the Ways To Give tab on our website to learn more about upcoming fundraising events and ways to get involved.

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