TEACHERS´ MATERIALS.

Please look out the extensive teachers materials for use in the classroom. They are a great tool to help prepare your students before seeing the play

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HEY, TEACHERS !

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Our version of this Shakespearian masterpiece transports the universal themes of Love, Hatred, Death and Violence from the dusty streets of 16th century Verona into the metropolis of the 21st century. Lingua-arts’ staging updates this classic tragedy by using an interesting juxtaposition of scenes from the original play and scenes written in contemporary English. As the plot develops, the “modern” merges with the “old” to create a universal message: violence and hatred can only ever have tragic consequences and that this was as relevant in Shakespeare’s day as it is in the 21st century. Four very talented and professional actors resurrect with our highly original version the immortal characters of the two predestined lovers, the feisty and irreverent Nurse, the bitter and violent Tybalt, the intolerant Lady Capulet and Mercutio, Romeo’s cynical, yet wise friend.
English is the main language, with part of the action in Spanish. The staging and direction are specially aimed to highlight the meaning of the Shakespearian text, which has been skilfully adapted for students of English.

Sinopsis en castellano
Nuestra versión de la tragedia clásica de Shakespeare transporta los apasionantes temas del Amor, el Odio y la Violencia desde las polvorientas calles de Verona en el siglo XVI hasta la gran urbe del siglo XXI. La puesta en escena actualiza la tragedia utilizando un interesante intercambio de escenas escogidas de la obra original con una historia paralela moderna escrita en un inglés contemporáneo. A medida que avanza la narración, las dos historias se “funden” para crear un mensaje claro: el Odio y la Violencia sólo pueden conducir a consecuencias trágicas, tanto en la época de Shakespeare como en nuestros días. Cuatro actores profesionales resucitan con mucho talento los personajes inmortales de los dos amantes predestinados, del amargo y violento Tybalt, de la divertida e irreverente nodriza, de la intolerante Lady Capulet y del cínico y sabio amigo de Romeo, Mercutio.
En inglés es el idioma principal, con una parte de la acción desarrollada en castellano. La puesta en escena ha sido especialmente enfocada a resaltar al máximo el significado del texto del Bardo, hábilmente adaptado para estudiantes de inglés.

The Background: This modern tale is set(1) in the fictitious country of Belrania. The capital city, Belrane, has been the victim of a series of terrorist attacks committed(2) by the VIRONIA LIBERATION ORGANISATION or VLO (OLV in Spanish), an illegal separatist group seeking autonomy for the territory called Vironia. The VLO is also fighting(3) to legalise the use of Spanish – it is prohibited to speak this language in Belrania, the official language being English. People found speaking Spanish are arrested and put into prison.

The Plot: It’s Saturday night. Romeo and Benny argu(4)e about a violent VLO demonstration(5) which has taken place in Belrane. Romeo is against(6) the use of violence, but Benny thinks it is necessary. They meet Marty who invites them to a “masquerade”, a party with masks, at the house of a very rich family, the Capulets. Benny feels nervous about going because there will be secret police and government people there (Benny has connections with the VLO and Romeo’s brother was killed by the state police six months ago). Marty persuades them to go but before they leave, Romeo tells them about some strange dreams(7) he has been having: dreams set in the 16th century about a beautiful girl called Juliet. In fact, Romeo has fallen in love(8) with the girl in his dreams and can’t stop thinking about her. Marty makes fun of(9) Romeo for being such a romantic.
At the party, Romeo is shocked to meet the girl in his dreams. Juliet actually exists in real life and is not a figment of his imagination(10). After the party, Romeo secretly visits Juliet outside her bedroom window. They immediately fall in love. The problem is her parents and her cousin(11), Tobias, detest all “Spanish speakers” and anyone connected with the VLO. If they suspected that she was seeing Romeo, they would severely punish(12) her.
The next morning, Romeo visits the Friar and tells him about Juliet. The Friar tells Romeo that this relationship could be extremely dangerous. Nonetheless, Romeo convinces the Friar to join them in marriage(13). The Friar changes his mind(14)because, he thinks, a matrimonial union could pave the way(15) for a better understanding between the enemies. At the same time, Juliet confides in her best friend, Kate, about her love for Romeo, but Kate refuses to listen and does not help her friend. For his part, Tobias suspects that Juliet is in love with a Montague and warns(16) his cousin that he will kill Romeo if she sees him again. Juliet is now more determined(17) to marry Romeo and that same day, they secretly get married(18).
However, their happiness does not last long. Soon after their marriage, Tobias looks for Romeo and starts a fight(19). Marty intervenes and defends Romeo but Tobias murders(20) her. In anger, Romeo seeks revenge(21) and kills Tobias. Romeo is now a criminal and must go into hiding. First, he secretly meets his wife, Juliet, and they plan their escape together...

Romeo Montague is a 17 year old Spanish-speaking student who hates violence. His brother, Louie, (a VLO sympathiser) was mysteriously killed during a state police interrogation six months ago.

Benny, Romeo’s close friend, is also 17. His first language is Spanish. A passionate supporter of the outlawed VLO movement, he believes that violence is the only way to achieve their rights: that is, autonomy for Vironia and the freedom to speak Spanish.

Marty (or Mercutio in the original version) is an 18 year old girl. A native English speaker, she has a very strong personality. She is intelligent, independent and very cynical about romance, politics and religion.

The Friar is the Catholic priest in whom Romeo often confides. He is very close to Romeo and is keen to give him advice where necessary.

Juliet Capulet is the 17 year old daughter of the influential and wealthy Lord and Lady Capulet. Her parents have got strong connections with the one-party government. Juliet is not interested in politics.

Lady Capulet is Juliet’s mother. She is a refined, wealthy and domineering woman.

Tobias Capulet (or Tybalt in the original version) is Juliet’s cousin. He lives with the Capulet family because he is an orphan: his mother died when he was very young and his father, a member of parliament, was killed by a VLO bomb attack two years ago. This is why he hates Spanish speakers and VLO sympathisers.

The Nurse is Juliet’s maid or “criada”. However, she is more like a mother to her than Juliet’s real mother. The Nurse is the woman who looked after Juliet since she was a baby.

Kate is Juliet’s best friend but she doesn’t like the fact that Juliet has fallen in love with a Montegue.

√ NOTES FOR TEACHERS

√ AN EXTRACT

The LINGUA-ARTS THEATRE Company’s version of one of Shakespeare’s best known tragedies has been especially adapted for four actors who play a total of nine characters. It is essentially a MODERN story told in contemporary 21st century English. The reasons for transferring the play to the early 21st century are twofold: 1) to make the English more accessible for the students and 2) to highlight the relevance of the play’s UNIVERSAL themes to young people today. The modern story is built around the core plot of Shakespeare’s tragedy, which is why we have included a few scenes from the original version in a bid to CONTRAST the contemporary with the old. In addition, the scenes in Shakespearean English have been specially adapted for young Spanish audiences.
THEMES: INTOLERENCE & HATRED / THE ABUSE OF POWER / LOVE / PREJUDICE / TERRORISM / STATE TERRORISM

BILINGUALISM: In our version of “Romeo & Juliet”, the Montagues are bilingual, that is they speak both Spanish and English; the Capulets speak only English. The majority of the play is in English, however, with about 20% of its contents in Spanish.

TEACHERS’ MATERIALS. Please look out the extensive teachers materials for use in the classroom. They are a great tool to help prepare your students before seeing the play (and for use AFTER seeing it).

Read More

JULIET: Don’t you have anything to say? Tell me it’s not true.
ROMEO: You don’t understand.
JULIET: You killed my cousin!
ROMEO: It’s not what you think.
JULIET: He was like a brother to me!
ROMEO: And he was a bastard, Juliet! He killed my best friend.
JULIET: I’m not hearing this!
ROMEO: Please, you’ve got to listen! Llisten to me! Tobias killed Marty … and my brother. He informed on Louie! … You’re not going to leave me, are you Juliet? Please, don’t leave me. I need you.
JULIET: Romeo… It’s all right… It’s all right. You’re my husband, remember?
ROMEO: Juliet, I love you so much. What are we going to do? The police are looking for me.
JULIET: We’ll have to leave the country. No, listen, listen!. I’ve got some money saved. I can go to the bank tomorrow morning and then get a couple of plane tickets.
(Nurse calls from inside)
NURSE: Madam!
JULIET: Nurse?
NURSE: Your lady mother is coming to thy chamber.
Be wary. Look about.
JULIET: Quick, my mother’s coming. You’ll have to leave the back way through the window. But where can we meet? Where shall we meet?
ROMEO: Tomorrow night, at midnight. At the mausoleum in the cemetery.
JULIET: The cemetery?
ROMEO: Yes.
JULIET: Romeo, be careful.
ROMEO: Don’t worry. They won’t catch me. Te amo. (He exits. Lady Capulet calls)
LADY C: Juliet. Are you up? (Lady Capulet enters) Feeling any better, dear?
JULIET: Yes, a little.
LADY C: It’s not like you taking to your bed in the middle of the day.
mausoleum = mausoleo
cemetery = cementerio
to catch = coger, pillar

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