Romeo and Juliet B-way Revival Question

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 10:47am

I noticed on Playbill.com that casting is complete for the Rashad/Bloom revival- however, noticeably absent are the roles of Lord and Lady Montague. Are they using a new translation? Any news?

Link:
http://playbill.com/news/article/180324-Casting-Complete-for-Broadway-Revival-of-Romeo-and-Juliet-Box-Office-Now-Open
Updated On: 7/22/13 at 10:47 AM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 11:54am

I don't think there's such a thing as a Shakespeare translation.

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 12:12pm

There are many different translations of Shakespeare actually, the most widely accepted in theatrical circles is The Arden. However, Shakespeare is public domain and can be altered to fit a director's vision, I suppose omitting characters would fall in line with that notation, perhaps this is what they are doing in this case. It will be interesting to see how the off-broadway interpretation varies from this one, which seems to be very race driven. I just didn't think it would be common to cut characters who so closely relate to the conflict of the story, ie. it seems to be one "house divided". Maybe their parts have just be reduced and aren't worth a credit in a press release, we shall see I guess.

Updated On: 7/22/13 at 12:12 PM

[wonkit]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 12:16pm

There are different editions of Shakespeare but none of them is a translation.

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 12:30pm

There are different translations of the text to modern English, much like The Bible.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 1:27pm

It's still not called a translation. It can be edited, abridged, or revised but it's still not a translation.

Shakespeare wrote in modern English. True, it doesn't read like how we speak today but just look up what Middle English and old English look like. You won't recognize any of it. Shakespeare interestingly also didn't write quite how his contemporaries spoke either.

I have never heard of a version of Romeo and Juliet that doesn't involve Lord and Lady Montague in some capacity and they're pretty central to the story. I'd imagine the roles have been cast but there just isn't an announcement yet, especially with rehearsals starting so soon.

[brldisteach2]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 1:56pm

Lord and Lady Montague really have fairly small parts in comparison to Lord and Lady Capulet. My guess is that the article you read just didn't consider their parts large enough to list them individually.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 2:09pm

Yes, the Montagues are gone because they are using a new translation.

Benvolio:

Mi Dom y Dama Montague no estan en Verona
Salieron ayer por la noche para Lago de Como,
no estan aqui, estan en El Veneto? no
Estan en Francia? no
Estoy diciendotelo
Estan en el glorioso Lago de Como
Mi dama le gusta el clima alli
Hace muy bien hoy en dia
Ellos estan visitando George Clooney
Has lo visitado?

Mercutio:

Si, pero por que estamos hablando en espanol?
Somos Veroneses en una obra inglesa
Y, Querido...

(mirando la audiencia)

ellos son solamente Estadounidenses...

y algunos turistas extranjeras..

Friar Lorenzo:

Si, pero Orlando prefiere esta traduccion nueva
Cree que es mas macho, estais de acuerdo, Chicos?

Benvolio:

Si, me gusta mucho, pero prefiero
esta version si tenemos una cortina de teatro!

Mercutio:

No estoy de acuerdo
Quiero Jan Maxwell jugar La Dama Montague
y ganara finalmente un tony

Friar Lorenzo:
Si Ojala que...
Ella tuviera la tony en su bolso!


































Updated On: 7/22/13 at 02:09 PM

[wonkit]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 2:12pm

But I want a soundtrack of the translation!

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 3:07pm

Thanks, broadwaydevil and henrik!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 3:27pm

"There are different translations of the text to modern English, much like The Bible."

1) Shakespeare wrote in English. There maybe archaic words here and there but it is ost assuredly English. "Translate" means to change the language: Shakespeare might be performed in China in a Chinese Translation.

2) The Bible WAS NOT written in English. IT was written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 3:39pm

Lol Joe, I forgot to mention in my post how confused I was about the Bible comparison.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 3:52pm

henrik, thank you for that.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 4:01pm

Will Shakespeare sign at the stage door?

[Kelly2]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 4:22pm

With an almost 40 year old Romeo, I think the script cuts are the least of their worries.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 4:22pm

(Double post)

Updated On: 7/22/13 at 04:22 PM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 4:48pm

"Remember that you are a human being with a soul and the divine gift of articulate speech, that your native language is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and the Bible" Henry Higgins
Updated On: 7/22/13 at 04:48 PM

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 5:18pm

"With an almost 40 year old Romeo, I think the script cuts are the least of their worries."

I know he's closer to 40 than to 30, but I find it sad that 36 is now "almost 40."

[howardbf]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 5:19pm

Do they live at the end?

[wonkit]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 7:22pm

Is there an 11 o'clock number? "Being Alive"?

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 8:02pm

I wonder how it'll do regionally - will this kind of stuff catch on?

Are the songs listed in the Playbill?

Will Juliet be considered a leading role because her name comes second in the title?

[wonkit]

Posted: 7/23/13 at 9:10am

This is all in fun, of course, but the ages of R & J in this production scare me. Their parents would have to be doddering, rather than in their powerful prime years. Not excited about this production, I'm afraid.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 7/23/13 at 11:50am

wonkit, I completely agree. It's shameless completely age-inappropriate casting. They're teenagers, part of the mirth and mischief of the play is in Romeo, Mercutio, and co.'s youth and recklessness. The production will be awful, I'm sure, but art isn't the point on this one, clearly. It's "let's take a play that's in the public domain, shove two famous people in it, and run with the money" plain and simple. I'll pass.

[wonkit]

Posted: 7/23/13 at 12:05pm

And besides, I just spent my life savings to get two tickets to BETRAYAL. Now there are two famous people I WILL pay to see (and a fantastic piece of Pinter work, too).

[theaterdrew]

Posted: 7/23/13 at 12:32pm

"The production will be awful, I'm sure, but art isn't the point on this one, clearly. It's 'let's take a play that's in the public domain, shove two famous people in it, and run with the money' plain . . . ."

Yes, because this director and these producers have a track record of producing nothing but commercial crap and their making 100 tickets available to students every performance for $20 (purchasable in advance) demonstrates how cynically money-grubbing this production is.

I don't understand having a Romeo older than Paris either, but if "Legolas" draws in a younger crowd not otherwise likely to be caught dead at a Shakespearean production, I can't trash the producers' decision, at least until I see how it works with my own eyes. Which I will do, the same weekend I finally get to Vanya, Sonia, et al.!