Birth Day, Death Day, Wedding Day *

Jul 12, 2007 | Travel

July Twelfth. Today in the year 100 BC, Julius Caesar was born. His mother, Aurelia, already had two daughters living. Their births were uncomplicated, but Caesar was trouble from the start. Still, both mother and son survived, though Aurelia had no more children...

“And young Benvolio is deceased as well…”

Jun 29, 2007 | Shakespeare - Theatre

If you wanted to throw my whole theory about the cause of the feud out of whack, you could point out to me that Lady Montague does not, in fact, have the final death in the play. I would answer with a nod, a sigh, a smile. “I know. Benvolio does.” The first legitimate...

Origin of the Capulet-Montague Feud

Jun 28, 2007 | Shakespeare

Due to the recent interest in this site, and seeing as how the publication of THE MASTER OF VERONA is upon us, it seems appropriate to explain how the book (and, in turn, the blog) came about. Early in 1999 I was directing Romeo & Juliet at the Ann Arbor Civic...

Friar Lawrence – Culpable

Jun 9, 2007 | Shakespeare - Theatre

    A couple days ago I reconnected with Harlan Underhill, my high school Shakespeare teacher from half a lifetime ago. Harlan was also the co-director of my very first production of the Bard’s work (of course, it was Romeo & Juliet. And, yes, I...

R&J Prologue

May 17, 2007 | Essential Posts - Shakespeare - Theatre

I never enjoy productions of Romeo & Juliet that play the Tragedy from the beginning. In fact, I think the famous Prologue is tacked on – it doesn’t appear in the First Folio! In the earliest texts we have, the show begins with two guys walking down...