Conversations with Cast Members of NEXTstage Rep’s, Romeo & Juliet

Sofia and Eve made three visits to NEXTstage Rep's production of Romeo and Juliet, directed by Stephen Davis, professor of theater arts. These reporters attended the play on Saturday, Feb. 3, Friday, Feb. 9, and Sunday, Feb. 11. 

After the performance on Feb. 9, the roving reporters conducted conversational interviews with several cast members about the production and the narrative of this tragic love story.

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Eve: How did you feel when you were cast as Juliet?

I was really excited. It was definitely a dream role of mine since I was really young. It was really nice to be this beautiful leading lady that is so young yet so mature. It was just really amazing. It felt like I had another chance to live through that childhood innocence of wanting to find your "true love."

Eve: How did you feel about your performance tonight?

I'll toot my own horn. Looking back to my first audition until now, I believe every show I've gotten better. Every show, I’m making different choices and experimenting. I am constantly thinking, "I like this so I'll keep doing this" or "I don’t really like this so I’ll try something new." Actively listening is something that has helped a lot. I’m really proud of my performance tonight. I can’t wait to see it get better with each run.

Fia: Did you actively practice stage-crying? I noticed your eyes were glossy in emotional scenes, which is very impressive.

At first, yes. Then, I noticed practicing was actually hindering me. It's funny. I pride myself on being able to "cry on command." But, then, for such an emotional show, I stopped being able to stage-cry. 

I realized that I needed to stop thinking so hard. Instead, I focused on actively being in the scene, which helped me allow myself to feel those emotions and cry. 

There are also moments where people get emotional and their eyes well up. Yet, they're trying to blink it away, so aren't tears running down their face. So, my strategy is asking myself, "What would I really do if I had to cry, but tried to hold it in?"

Eve: How did both of you feel about being cast in your respective roles?

Danny: The week before the cast list came out, I was so nervous. I crying almost every night. Then, the cast list came out and I got the role that I’d been wanting for years. Romeo was one of my top three dream roles of all time. Being able to play him and be part of an amazing cast has been one incredible Freshman year experience.

Christopher: I was definitely excited. Since the day we found out that we were doing Romeo and Juliet, I knew, "I want Tybalt." His character comes with a lot of stage-combat, which is kind of "my thing." The minute the cast list came out, I was so excited and immediately got to work. I told myself, "I'm putting 175% effort into this."

Eve: Speaking of stage combat, the knife fights looked so "real." Is learning stage combat a challenge and/or time-consuming?

Christopher: I’ve been doing stage combat since last year. So, I picked up Romeo and Juliet's stage combat quickly. But, when I was first learning, it was a challenge. 

Danny: I’ve been doing stage combat since high school. It’s fun. You get into a certain rhythm with it after a while. The real challenge comes in making sure your partner is always safe. Also, just making it "look real" is tough sometimes.

Christopher: During stage combat, I keep in mind that the person you’re "fighting" is your partner not your enemy. Your main jobs during combat scenes are safety and making it "look good." Even still, we’ve had a few bumps and bruises here and then.

Danny: There’s definitely a fine line between "fighting" and "stage fighting." Our cast found that line easily, especially during Romeo and Tybalt's fight. 

Eve: I really enjoyed the part when Juliet "slaps" you (Romeo) in the face.

Danny: Did you think it’s deserved?

Fia & Eve: It’s deserved.

Danny: (Laughs) Yeah, like, I did kill her cousin.

Eve: I feel like she’s slapping you (Romeo) because you’re an idiot!

Danny:  I like that take.

Fia: Honestly, Romeo and Juliet is not my favorite play. Actually, I can’t stand it. Not to mention, Tybalt is just an angry hot head. But, seeing his anger through your performance, I was impressed and "drawn in." Tybalt's "ghost" making an appearance was a lovely surprise, as well. 

Christopher: Thank you. Really drawing into Tybalt was challening. I balanced pulling from real life, then releasing and letting go of those emotions. I don’t love "method acting." It works very well for some people. But, I choose to pull from memories, remembering how I felt in certain life experiences, rather than fully reliving experiences. It’s a fine line. 

Character work is also so much fun. In the beginning, Tybalt is this hot-headed angry guy. But, if you deep dive into his character, you'll find more to him. 

Eve: How was "drawing into Romeo" for you, Danny? 

Danny: Finding Romeo was not easy. I spent countless hours with our lovely director, Stephen Davis, working on this because he's just a roller coaster. He's an emotional roller coaster. He starts at rock bottom. He is actually one of the few characters in theater that starts at their lowest point, hits their highest, and, then, dives even lower than the beginning. He gets everything he's ever wanted and has it ripped away. The griefs of Romeo made it difficult for me to tap into him. But, Stephen greatly helped me find the line of drawing into Romeo while not putting myself into a very negative headspace. It’s been a ride. I've learned so much.

Fia: Well, your hard work definitely paid off, Danny. You did a great job representing Romeo's foolishness.

Danny: Thank you. That means a lot. I agree he is definitely "foolish." Romeo is 18. He is still a kid at the end of the day. He’s also depressed. But, he thinks he’s "all mature" and "poetic." But, when he finds love, he shows that he is really a kid, jumping around going, "Oh my god. I love this girl. I’m gonna marry her." It's funny. They Romeo and Juliet only knew each other for less than a week.

Eve: In my opinion, Romeo regresses throughout the play. Meanwhile, Juliet becomes more mature. What do you think about that?

Danny: Exactly. They swap roles. At the beginning of the play, Romeo embodies who Juliet becomes by the end, and vice versa.

Eve: Not to mention, Juliet absolutely "moms" Romeo.

Danny: I completely agree.

Fia: How did you feel when you were cast as Friar Laurence?

It’s the role that I wanted since the show was announced. So, it felt great. 

Fia: How did you approach portraying the character of Friar Laurence, considering his role as a priest?

I, myself, am not Catholic. So, it took a lot of research. I watched so many productions. Stephen also helped me understand the character and get into his mindset.

Fia: What are your thoughts on Romeo?

Romeo? Oh, I don’t know. I’m teaching him all these lessons, but he stops listening to me by the end of the show. Granted, I’m the reason both him and Juliet die…so what are you going to do?

Eve: Interesting. You believe that you’re the reason for Romeo and Juliet's deaths?

I think so. My letters are never delivered to Romeo.  Also, I give the poison to Juliet, so people don’t know she’s actually dead.

Eve: What about Romeo? Does he deserve any blame?

In my opinion, everyone is to blame. There’s no communication on anyone's part.

Fia: How did you feel when you were cast as Mercutio?

I was very excited when I read the script. Mercutio was the character I wanted to go for right from the start. Sometimes you just read the script and connect to someone. He just so "alive," and I could feel just from reading the script. So, I was very happy being cast as Mercutio.

Q: Eve: You were the perfect fit for that character. Not to mention, your voice carries so well throughout the entire theater. In my opinion, the cast not using mics resonates with Mercutio's character. How did you feel about being "mic-less"

Thank you! I don’t like using mics. I appreciate when I don’t have to have this "thing" on me. So, I’m happy to project my voice.

Fia: I couldn't even tell the cast were not using mics! 

Well, we’re in this little theater, literally. The Little Theater, is a smaller space, so we don’t need mics. Wonky stuff can happen with mics in terms of sound quality, too. Overall, it feels more real to me to not have an extra thing attached to me during a show.

Eve: Do you have a favorite scene? 

For Prince, it’s the closing speech. Every word is purely poetic. I worked hard to break down his speech, line-by-line, to figure out the meaning. I never want to "ruin it" by adding in my own spin. I wanted to let it be—just let the words flow. Everything the Prince says is so poetically beautiful to me. 

For Mercutio, although I have a love-hate relationship with it, my favorite scene has to be the Queen Mab speech. It’s a monologue, and with monologues, I do it differently each show. I like to change things and find what "feels right." So, it’s definitely a challenging scene. But, it’s rewarding when it does end up feeling "right."

Eve: Did you enjoy using the aisles as an extension of the stage in this show?

We do it in all of Stephen’s shows. He loves a "little aisle moment." I'll admit, sometimes it feels a weird entering and not being able to deliver lines until you’re close enough. But, I didn't have an issue with that in Romeo and Juliet. The aisles work for me in this show.

Eve: How much improvisation goes into your acting? 

There are some things that I plan to do and some I don't plan. When I say, "A plague on both your houses," I purposefully avoid performing this line loudly. But, today, I shouted it. I didn’t mean to do that, of course. That’s just how it came out. It's what felt natural. 

Fia: What about Mercutio stumbling onto the stage with Benvolio. How much improvisation goes into using the stage as an element? 

(Laughs) I actually didn't plan to do that either. I didn’t go, "I’m going to crash right here." Sometimes, I walk up and fall down when and where it feels "right."

Fia: What are your overall thoughts on the story of Romeo & Juliet? 

Honestly, it’s a good play. However, high school have lied to us saying, "It’s the greatest love story." No. It’s not the greatest love story. It ends with two teenagers tragically dying! 

But, I do enjoy the play, as a whole. I love the drama. I enjoy the drama. The fights are great, too. I actually kind of enjoy Mercutio’s death and how he jokingly plays it off. He's all, "Don’t worry, it's not that bad." But, in reality, it’s pretty bad. 

Also, that Balthazar guy…best character in the play. He's a ten out of ten, and I'm definitely not saying that because I play him. 

In all seriousness, I do really enjoy his character. Technically, Balthazar is 12-years-old. He’s a young servant and considered to be the "young brother" of the group.

Eve: Shakespeare's writing can feel like a barrier for some people, almost as if it's in a different language altogether. How do you view Shakespearean English and its accessibility?

Shakespearean English, while it initially seems intimidating, is just about how you visualize, memorize, and enunciate it. In order to figure out Shakespearean English, you need to figure out how to mean what you say. 

For instance, when I say, "For all the same I’ll hide me here about/his looks I fear and his intents I doubt," I figured about how to say it first, which helps me decode the meaning of the language. Paraphrasing is another tactic. I figure out what it means beforehand and break it down from there.

Eve: Some people say every death in the story is Romeo’s fault. Do you agree?

Technically, it’s everyone’s fault. Maybe if they had a better mailing system, it would have been a happier ending.