'These violent delights have violent ends'

New Wave staff newwave@tulane.edu
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The New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane will present a one-night-only performance of Romeo and Juliet on Friday (Jan. 10). The classic drama is revamped from the Shakespeare Festival's summer season for the annual “Performance for the Schools,” during which thousands of students from across Louisiana see the production.

Shakespeare Festival, Romeo and Juliet

Set in Italy in the 1800s, this staging of Romeo and Juliet explores the difficulty of creating peace in a culture that relishes violence (Photo by John Barrois)

Austin Alleman stars as Romeo and Emily Russell stars as Juliet in the classic drama originally penned in the 1590s. When Romeo and Juliet fall in love, there's finally hope to end their families' ancient feud. But can love triumph over centuries of violence, rage and bloodshed? As a line from the play warns, “These violent delights have violent ends.”

This production, set in the Napoleon-occupied Italy of the 1800s, explores the difficulty of creating peace in a culture conditioned to not only accept but to relish violence.

Russell graduated from Tulane University with a BFA in theater and economics. She was recently an ensemble member of Shakespeare on the Road, where Tulane students create a performance piece about Shakespeare and tour it to local schools. Russell also appeared in Southern Rep's Pride and Prejudice in November.

Alleman was a semifinalist in the English Speaking Union's National Shakespeare Competition, which allowed him to perform at Lincoln Center in New York. He studied acting at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) and is now a sophomore in the Acting Conservatory at SUNY Purchase–New York.

The play is directed by Amy Boyce Holtcamp, who taught acting at Tulane for the 2012-2013 school year and now directs and teaches at NOCCA. Rounding out the cast are James Bartelle, Danny Bowen, Silas Cooper, Joel Derby, Sam Dudley, Stephen Eckert, Casey Groves, Max Jay-Dixon, Wendy Miklovic, Diana Shortes and Burton Tedesco.

The play will take the Dixon Hall stage on the Tulane University uptown campus at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for the public and $10 for students and seniors.