Montevallo Theatre reimagines Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’

Story By: Madison Smith

The University of Montevallo Theatre Department recently presented a new interpretation of William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy “Romeo and Juliet,” offering audiences a different perspective on the centuries-old story of star-crossed lovers. The production concluded its run this past weekend.

Directed by Bart Pitchford, the adaptation introduced several creative adjustments to key moments in the play in order to explore themes that are often overshadowed by the well-known romance between the two main characters.

Rather than focusing primarily on the love story, Pitchford said the production placed greater emphasis on the violence and conflict between the Montague and Capulet families and how that rivalry shaped the fate of the young couple.

“We are taking it to a little bit of a violent place with this particular moment because one of the things we really want to talk about in this play is the way that adults use these two children in very violent ways against each other,” Pitchford said.

According to Pitchford, the production also challenged the idea that “Romeo and Juliet” is purely a romantic story. Instead, the show examined the impulsive nature of teenage emotions and how quickly those feelings can escalate.

“The focus should not be on a love story,” Pitchford said. “Although there is this teenage love that is shared between Romeo and Juliet, it’s the kind of love that teenagers have which is more equated to lust. They don’t really know who they are.”

“The focus should not be on a love story. Although there is this teenage love that is shared between Romeo and Juliet, it’s the kind of love that teenagers have which is more equated to lust. They don’t really know who they are.” — Bart Pitchford

Members of the cast also worked to highlight the youth and emotional development of the characters. Savannah Bright, who played Juliet in the production, said one of the central focuses of her performance was emphasizing Juliet’s young age.

“One of the things we wanted to focus on is Juliet’s age. She is 13 in the story,” Bright said. “So we added some of that early teenage angst. Sometimes she can be a little bratty. She doesn’t know everything, she’s very naive, and then she quickly has to grow up and learn through the show.” Said Bright.

Through these creative choices, the production aimed to give audiences a fresh perspective on one of Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedies. By exploring the darker themes of family conflict, the Montevallo theatre department sought to encourage audiences to reconsider the familiar story in a new light.

Additional Reporting By: David Cheek