The theater department has a tremendous reputation to maintain this year. The success of the previous plays, especially the Laramie Project, set the bar high for this year’s productions. Romeo and Juliet, the classic tragedy written by William Shakespeare, has been revealed as the upcoming play this semester, bringing a drama that all students have read into the performing arts center.Senior Hersh Ellis, playing Friar Lawrence, says that the play is something new and interesting, even though students have already read the story.“I think [Romeo and Juliet] is a good choice for us,” Ellis said. “We’ve got a very strong group of actors that can pull off Shakespeare, which a lot of high schools don’t have.”Laramie Project set the bar high for the group, but Romeo and Juliet is an entirely different type of production. Theater Director Dan Schmidt says that Romeo and Juliet will test the department’s ability to perform different types of plays well.

“I feel that every four to six years the theater department needs to make sure we get experience with the classical stuff,” Schmidt said. “We have a good group of guys and girls that could pull this off.”

The selection is definitely going to have its challenges. The theater department is going through extra effort this time around to make sure that students are guaranteed to see a great show. Shakespeare is stereotyped as being full of boring speeches, and the staff knows this will be a problem.

“People think its just long winded speeches that are uninteresting,” Ellis said. “I sit in rehearsal and think this will be really cool, and we need to spread the message that it will be really exciting.

Schmidt said that the play will be different from what we have ever seen before. We have all read the play already, but the experience will be different regardless.

With Laramie Project and all the other successful plays of last year, students already know that the theater department is strong. So, come out on Nov. 8-10th to have an unforgettable experience.