Nicholls students and faculty will perform “Romeo and Juliet” tonight, March 15 through Saturday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 18 at 2 p.m.
The play will be performed with Shakespeare’s original text that was edited by David Hundsness into a 100-minute play. It is set as a modern tale so the audience can relate to it in today’s age.
Daniel Ruiz, speech instructor and director of the Nicholls Players, chose the play because there is a lot of political rivalry, and “Romeo and Juliet” lends itself to what is going on in our time.
“There is no civil bloodshed like there is in the play, but the rivals in the political world beat eachother up in political arguments,” Ruiz said. “It gets vicious and mean, and that is the context that the play is in where Lord Montague and Lord Capulet are running for the senate. They are in a vicious race causing all the problems in Verona.”
The set is covered with political signs with each house separate from the other.
“Politics is our civil war,” Ruiz said. “We are in a generation where we are torn because some people don’t really follow what their parents’ politics are, and people would like to find a middle ground and stop all the fighting to get something done.”
Ruiz said “Romeo and Juliet” goes against the fighting and finds love in a hopeless place.
Gary Baker, business sophomore from Crowley, is performing as Romeo, and Cheyenne Miller, freshman from Thibodaux, is performing as Juliet.
“I am most excited about getting a positive reaction from the audience,” Baker said. “Anybody can get on the stage and do this, but it is best that I did something right, and I gave the message that was supposed to be given.”
When Baker started coming to Nicholls he promised himself that he would be in every play. This is his fourth performance.
“I want the audience to learn that love is dangerous, and many people should not look over it,” Baker said. “Every character has a message, and hopefully the audience can understand the dangerous effects of what love and anger can bring.”
Baker enjoys playing Romeo and hopes to do him justice when he performs the play this weekend.
“This is my first lead role in a play, and I am enjoying it,” Miller said. “When I tried out, I thought I knew Shakespeare, but I learned a lot from this experience.”
Miller says that “Romeo and Juliet” is not just a love story. She says that it has all these other characters and conflicts that take place, and there is not just one moral to the story.
“Juliet is often portrayed as being dumb, naïve and stupid. But the way I am playing her is that she is smarter, and I like that,” Miller said. “It is all in how you portray her the right way.”
General admission is $10, and admission for students with I.D. is $5.
“The audience should be aware that ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is not just a sweet love story,” Ruiz said. “The way that it was originally written was to be dangerous, passionate, sexual and violent. When it is put into a contemporary lens, it is shocking.”