SUNY Oswego’s theater department put their own spin on Shakespeare’s most popular tale
Actors of the Romeo and Juliet rehearsing the play, in costume on stage. (Photo by: Kyle Schnauffer)
SUNY Oswego’s theater performance of Romeo and Juliet creates a new twist on the story everyone is familiar with.
The tragic love story between two Italian youths has seen many adaptations over the years and is still one of the most performed plays now.
The tale dates back to the late 16th century when Shakespeare wrote the play, over 400 years after its creation. This is why Steve Mazzoccone, the director of the play, incorporated something new, swords.
“There is a lot of stage combat in the productions and that is indicative of the world of Verona in which these two famous lovers meet,” said Mazzoccone.
This is just one part of Mazzoccone’s “dream world” which shows the creative liberties the cast and crew adapted from the original play. The idea came about last summer with Mazzaccone saying the play feels fast and action packed.
“We have a series of split scenes and while watching one scene end the other scene has already started,” said Mazzoccone. “And so that makes the play move along at a very fast clip and I think that sets a proper experience for the audience.”
This is definitely a fast play as it is only 90 minutes long with no intermission, compared to other plays that can last up to three to four hours with multiple breaks in between.
The theater department is holding three more shows – Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Waterman Theatre on the SUNY Oswego campus.