Locos X Romeo y Julieta
Artistic Concept
The worldwide and so many times staged text of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is performed by a young theatre troupe. Alone on stage, without adults, Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, Benvolio and the rest of friends that – we suppose – should be on stage, in fact are seen here as an urban tribe, will invade the setting in the same way as if they were in fair Verona.
A setting where bodies are both set designs and objects, complements for the body, in the sequence of events for the actor. So we shall see the characters, celebrating their bodies and tender age, in a plaza, dancing, singing, fighting and “playing” to stage Romeo and Juliet, playing that they are going a bit crazy with their tasks. In this manner, clothed with the text and white robes, these young people will go Crazy for Romeo and Juliet (Locos X Romeo y Julieta).
“Love and Death” (Young Troupe in white)
Where to find a place for the power that flows from Mercutio? And above all – beyond all the pain that the death of lovers produces in adults – not shown here – Where should we find a setting for Benvolio and the rest, when they face the pain of the physical loss of their friends, in that Age of Innocence, Love and Friendship?
About the Author and Director
Manuel Ángel Conejero (OBE)
Manuel Ángel Conejero (OBE) – playwright, general editor and translator of Shakespeare for the publishing house Cátedra (Anaya) and master of actors – has been a Full Professor of English Literature at the Universities of Valencia (Valencia), Complutense and Juan Carlos I (Madrid).
He is author of numerous publications on Shakespearean plays and dramatic theory being “Eros Adolescente”, “El Actor y la Palabra”, “El Actor, el Texto, el Deseo” “La Escena, el Sueño, la Palabra” or “Rhetoric, Theatre and Translation” his most emblematic books. As a playwright, he is the author of “Teatro del Amor Maldito” which includes: “Hamlet en el espejo”, “No soy King Lear”, “Tres Nobles Amigos” y “Dioses Nocturnos”.
He has also been a speaker at international meetings on drama in London, UK (National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, Central School of Speech and Drama), La Habana, Cuba (ISA and Universidad Politécnica, CUJAE), Bogotá, Colombia (Casa del Teatro Nacional and Teatro Libre) and Miranda, Venezuela (Veneteatro).
Former Director of National Theatres in Madrid and of the Palau de la Música y Teatres de la Generalitat in Valencia, he founded TeatreJove in 1986. An artistic institution in which relevant actors (Carles Sanjaime, Jaime Pujol, Enrique Arce, Carmen del Valle, Angela Castilla, Josep Albert, Daniel Craig, Alejo Saura, Sergio Peris Mencheta…) were trained.
At present, back home in Valencia, Professor Conejero focuses his work in the actor-training process around Hamlet. A Shakespearean play he has worked tirelessly in many workshops and productions for more than 50 years.
The version of “Romeo and Juliet” he directed is, therefore, the result of an ongoing workshop with this text within the Fundación Shakespeare de España in terms of artistic workshop/stage show.
Background Information
In July 2009, The Shakespeare Foundation of Spain began a new phase at the time Hamlet Express was released, within the activities of the Summer Festival Sagunt a Escena, acted by young actors from the school in Madrid and from the new one in Valencia. Thus beginning the Studio Actores FSE activities since that summer until now remained operational in Valencia with theatre performances such as Hamlet, Hamlet, El sueño de una noche de verano and Locos X Romeo y Julieta.
Relations with Drama within The Shakespeare Foundation of Spain arose with the idea of TeatreJove. A young drama company under the supervision of the Full Professor of English Literature Manuel Ángel Conejero with established sites in Spain (Madrid and Valencia) that started its activity on 4th April 1986 with a production of Como gustéis (As you Like It) under the stage direction of Pierre Constant and the stage design of Carlos Montesinos.
TeatreJove
This specific young actor-training project enjoyed its consolidation phase on the basis of the agreement with The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain directed during the 80s and 90s and examples of such are going to be found in the performances of Romeo and Juliet (Madrid, Valencia and London, 1987), Macbeth (Madrid, Almagro and London, 1990 and 1991), directed by Edward Wilson; and The Tempest (Valencia, 1993) directed by Christopher Sanderson and The King Lear (Valencia 1997) directed by Miguel Narros.
In 2001, this project moves to Latin America for several seasons with the Joven Compañía de la Universidad Politécnica de la Habana and then returning to Spain in 2009.
Cast
Prologue: Manuel Ángel Conejero.
Benvolio: Fernando Soler.
Tybalt: Jorge De Guillae.
Romeo: Ricard Cerdán.
Nurse: Patricia Sánchez.
Juliet: Marta Calabuig.
Mercurtio: Robert Cerdán.
Friar Laurence: Eduard Ripoll.
Chorus: Julio Agapito, Yara Belén, Adrián Cabezas, Jordi Cubas, Desampa Embuena, Tyron Montenegro, Oscar Montes, Elisabeth Ztirin.
Production Program
Crew
Dramaturgy / Director: Manuel Ángel Conejero.
Assistant Director: Ricard Cerdán.
Production: Escuela Actores de la Fundación Shakespeare.
Costume and Set design: Escuela Actores de la Fundación Shakespeare.
Photos: David Linuesa / Clara Serer.
Technical Staff: XV Festival Teatro Clásico de Peñíscola.
Staging
First staging: March, 1st, 2012 – Teatro Principal de Castellón.
March 7th, 2012 – Teatro Olympia de Valencia.
May 14th, 2012 – Institut d’Art Modern (IVAM), Valencia.
Press Release
nomepierdoniuna, Castellón, Teatro y Danza, Feb 26th, 2012.
Turismo de Castellón: XV Festival de Teatro Clásico de Peñíscola.
Source
Information provided by Dr. Vicente Forés and Dr. Jose Saiz (ISE – Internet Shakespeare España)
