Photos: Shakespeare with a modern twist

The spring season of productions staged by the Tulane University Department of Theatre and Dance kicks off with a contemporary view of Two Gentlemen of Verona co-produced with the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane.

Utilizing Shakespeare's recurring themes of mistaken identity and cross-dressing, director Gary Rucker updates the production, with two young women working at a fast food restaurant and an outlaw gang of wannabe vampires. Rucker says, “I'm excited to … create a show about kids being kids that will appeal to the student population at Tulane and to the patrons of the Shakespeare Festival.”

Brendan Bowen performs as Launce (and Safi as Crab the Dog) in the production. Performances are today (Feb. 29) through Saturday (March 3) at 8 p.m. and Sunday (March 4) at 2 p.m. at the Lupin Theater.

Taking on the roles of outlaws are, from left, Jesse Friedman as Valentine, along with Ofir Caspi, Dexter Rogers and Erica Badowski. The play tells the story of the friendship between Proteus and Valentine, two foolish young men with their hearts set on equally lovelorn young women, Julia and Sylvia.

The cast includes both students and professional actors. Junior Jesse Friedman, left, is Valentine, while Shakespeare Festival actor Martin Covert is the Duke of Milan.

This scene from the play features, from left, Ofir Caspi as the Host, Stephen M. Eckert as Proteus, Gabriella Cerqueira as Silvia, and Erin McCluskey and Maddie Dean as Sylvia's Posse.

Julia DeLois, left, performs as Julia, and Gabriella Cerqueira is Silvia. The production is the first active collaboration between the Shakespeare Festival and the theater department and the first festival production to play outside of the summer season. Tickets are available online or by calling 504-865-5106.