Rehearsals are underway for American Repertory Theater at Harvard University's upcoming production of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus (Jagged Little Pill, Waitress, Pippin) is reuniting with two-time Olivier-winning director and choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (Jagged Little Pill, Babel(words), Puz/zle) to stage the classic tragedy. Launching A.R.T.'s 2024–25 season, previews will begin August 31 prior to an official opening September 5 at the Loeb Drama Center in Harvard Square, Cambridge.
As previously reported, playing the star-crossed lovers will be Rudy Pankow (Outer Banks, Uncharted) and Emilia Suárez (Up Here, A Good Person), joined by three-time Tony nominee Terrence Mann (Pippin, Beauty and the Beast, Les Misérables) as Friar Laurence, Terence Archie as Lord Capulet, Jason Bowen as Prince and others, Sharon Catherine Brown as Nurse, Bradley Dean as Lord Montague and Friar John, Brandon Dial as Benvolio, Adi Dixit as Paris, Abiola Obatolu as Lady Montague and others, Alex Ross as Tybalt, Will Savarese as Abraham and others, Adam Shaukat as Sampson and others, Clay Singer as Mercutio, and Nicole Villamil as Lady Capulet.
Check out the company in rehearsal in the photo gallery below:
Rudy Pankow and Clay Singer
Emilia Suárez, Sharon Catherine Brown, and Nicole Villamil
Nicole Villamil, Adam Shaukat, and Adi Dixit
Costume inspirations for Romeo and Juliet at A.R.T.
Clay Singer, Brandon Dial, Terrence Mann,
and Rudy Pankow
Sharon Catherine Brown, Terence Archie, Nicole Villamil, Erika Bailey, and Ryan McKittrick
Adi Dixit, Adam Shaukat, and Bernardo Sequeira
Rehearsal costumes for A.R.T.’s Romeo and Juliet
The upcoming production will also have scenic design by Amy Rubin,
costume design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Jen Schriever, sound
design by Daniel Lundberg, music by composer Alexandre Dai Castaing,
hair, wig, and makeup design by J. Jared Janas, fight consulting by
Thomas Schall, intimacy coordination by Lauren Kiele DeLeon, and casting
by ARC Casting's Duncan Stewart and Jarrett Reiche.
“Romeo and Juliet has been a favorite play of mine for years," said Paulus in a statement. “It is often considered to be a play about hate. I am interested in pivoting that framework. Rather than defining our lives through hatred, can we choose to define our lives through love? This question opened the play up for me in a way that was very liberating. I’m thrilled to be collaborating once again with the choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, who, in addition to being a genius with movement, is brilliant with text and acting."
Melissa Chacón is the production stage manager with assistant stage managers Dack Justiz and Em Nafz. Performances are currently scheduled through October 6.
This production is not to be confused with the upcoming Broadway revival starring Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler, or the production that just closed in the West End starring Tom Holland.
For tickets visit AmericanRepertoryTheater.org.
