Lake Michigan College Theater Program to Present a Bold, Futuristic Romeo & Juliet

Event: Romeo & Juliet
When: Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 12-14, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 15, 2 p.m.
Where: Lake Michigan College Mendel Center Hanson Theatre
2755 E. Napier Ave., Benton Harbor, MI 49022
Tickets: $15, $5 students under 18, www.TheMendelCenter.com

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – The Lake Michigan College Theater program will present a stark, near-future reimagining of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet Nov. 12-15 at the LMC Mendel Center Hanson Theatre on the College’s Benton Harbor Campus, 2755 E. Napier Ave. Performances are at 7 p.m. Nov. 12-14 and 2 p.m. Nov. 15. Tickets are $15 general admission and $5 for students under 18. Tickets are available at www.TheMendelCenter.com/events. 

Shakespeare's most famous love story collides with a fractured America in the not-too-distant future, where a second civil war has recently ended in an uneasy truce.

Verona, New Jersey, is now a border town split by a demilitarized zone, with the fortified suburban estates of the Capulets on one side and the industrial strongholds of the Montagues on the other. Here, the ancient grudge is no longer a family feud but a divide of class and ideology. At the center of it all are two young people who dare to love across those lines. 

Staged with a raw, theatrical edge and a pulse-pounding soundtrack of indie, punk, and hip-hop, this gritty production asks what happens when hate becomes a way of life, and what it ultimately costs individuals and society.

“The overarching theme for this production is that love can spring from hate, but hate will kill all it loves. I selected this production because it tells the age-old story about love and hate that is still so relevant today,” said Director and LMC Theater Instructor Shalico Sain. 

This production of Romeo & Juliet has been edited and adapted by David Hundsness (2008), with further adaptation by Sain. While it is geared for all audiences, parental guidance is suggested due to fight scenes and romantic moments between Romeo and Juliet. Strobe and flashing light effects will be used.

Cast members:

• Charlie Gibson as Romeo
• Leo Rediess as Juliet
• AJ Dyer as Benvolio
• Gavin Blake as Mr. Montague
• Allison MacMillan as Ms. Montague
• Quintin Sharpe as Mr. Capulet
• Deonna McGrew as Ms. Capulet
• Percy Wielenga as Tybalt
• Calie Madsen as Nurse
• Steve Hamel as Friar Lawrence
• Wyatt Fulton as Mercutio
• Logan Boykin as Paris
• Aiden Apreza as Escalus

• Ensemble – Citizens of Verona (ensemble members play multiple parts, including those listed):
• Logan Paluzzi as Sampson
• Kaeden Bowman as Gregory
• Levi Troge as Abram
• Stiles Miller as Guard #1
• Niko Brown-Parrott as Guard #2
• Karina Hunerjager as Apothecary
• Easton Downs as Servant
• Juno Agens as Chorus
• Hongon Kim as Musician/DJ
• Lakayla Miles as Musician/DJ

Production crew:

• Rob Lunn, LMC Creative Arts & Humanities Department Chair
• Shalico Sain, Producer, Director, and Sound Designer
• Mindy McCaffrey, LMC Creative Arts & Humanities Department Administrative Assistant
• Kyle McAndrew, Assistant Director & Production Manager
• Tabitha Hoskins, Costume Designer
• Collin Wagner, Technical Director & Lighting Designer
• Candace Meyers, Set Designer
• Dan Gilligan, Master Carpenter
• Kyra Utroske, Scenic Artist
• Cindy Jakeway, Scenic Artist
• Eric Bradford, Scenic Artist
• Tori Guerrin, Sound Assistant
• Kelsey Trux, Choreographer
• Ivy Thomas, Props & Special Effects
• Calie Madsen, Props

About the Lake Michigan College Music and Theater Programs 
Lake Michigan College’s Music and Theater programs allow students to reach new levels of excellence through classroom instruction and public performance. The programs are based in the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center, the only performing arts center of its kind in Southwest Michigan. Here, LMC students can study the performing arts in a venue that attracts thousands of patrons annually. Auditions are held for select ensembles that perform on the same stages as world-renowned touring acts. Students in any major can audition for musicals and plays, and can join three vocal ensembles, a pop/rock ensemble, and the Red Hawk Jazz Collective. One of only two colleges in Michigan to carry the prestigious All-Steinway designation, LMC has a team of highly qualified faculty who bring real-world expertise to the classroom and the stage. 

For more information about LMC’s Music and Theater programs and performances, visit lakemichigancollege.edu/arts, email mmccaffrey@lakemichigancollege.edu, or call 269-927-8876.

The Lake Michigan College Mendel Center is 30 minutes from Niles and 40 minutes from the Kalamazoo and South Bend areas. It is located on the Lake Michigan College campus at 2755 E. Napier Ave., Benton Harbor, Michigan, one mile east of I-94 (Exit 30) and one mile west of the U.S. 31 Bypass (Exit 24). Its GPS mapping address is 1100 Yore Ave., Benton Harbor, MI.