Tonight’s the night! No Exit Theatre Collective presents ROMEO AND JULIET, directed by resident director Caitlyn McCain.
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William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, directed by Caitlyn McCain, will be performed today, August 28 at 7 p.m. on the No Exit Theatre Collective Facebook page. All shows in our Fortnightly Reading Series are abridged to run less than 90 minutes, with a Q&A with the artists to follow.
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is directed by Caitlyn McCain, resident director. The cast will feature Emma Josephine Rucci as Romeo, Myka Cue as Juliet, Courtney Bryan Devon as Benvolio/Paris, Kristin Sgarro as Tybalt/Friar John, Maya Murphy as Mercutio/Abraham, Brennan O’Rourke as Lady Capulet/Stage Direction, Nathan Sievers as Capulet/Apothecary/Sampson, Jackie Alexis as Nurse, Theodosia Arcidiacono as Friar Laurence/Gregory, and Taylor Congdon as Prince/Swing.
Technical directed by Daisy Phillips. Script managed by Adam Gerber.
Director’s note, from resident director Caitlyn McCain
Why are we still producing Romeo + Juliet?
Sadly, because it is still terribly relevant. On the casting sheet for this reading, actors were asked to reflect on where they see the Capulet & Montague divide in their own lives. The examples were countless: political divides, racial divides, familial separations, homophobic relatives and the list goes on. At its core, I see Romeo + Juliet as a warning. A cautionary tale about what happens when hate allows difference to divide us.
Our production begins at the funeral of the two lovers, attended by both Capulets and Montagues. Juliet's parents, Capulet and Lady Capulet, have decided to address the grieving communities with a plea, a heartfelt warning of the tragedy that is still to come if this feud does not end now...
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;
Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
We can stop producing Romeo + Juliet as soon as we heed the Capulet's warning. As soon as we stop allowing hate to justify our actions. As soon as we stop living in fear of difference. Then, and only then, can we stop producing Romeo and Juliet. Until then, we must keep telling this 400 year old story. We must keep listening, watching, losing, hurting, grieving and (hopefully) learning until this story is representative of our history and not our reality.
Please note that our reading is not attempting to represent any specific divide in our society; we leave that up to your interpretation and experience.
Honoring the activist roots of theatre and our artists is at the core of No Exit Theatre Collective. We seek to affect change with our work. With each production we put on, the creative team selects a social justice organization to support. Our support comes from our virtual tip jar, which is on Venmo @NoExit-TC.
This week, we will be supporting the Right to Counsel NYC Coalition, with 20 percent of the tips from our virtual tip jar. Right to Counsel is a tenant-led coalition formed in 2014, who work towards an eviction-free NYC and ultimately, for a right to housing. In 2017, their work made New York the first city in the country to establish a Right to Counsel for tenants facing eviction.
Director Caitlyn McCain on why we’re selecting the Right to Counsel NYC Coalition.
"Two households, both alike in dignity..."
Every human deserves the dignity of stable housing. Housing is a human right, but 46 percent of New York renters are at risk of eviction. That is 1.5 million New York households. 84 percent of New Yorkers experiencing homelessness identify as Black or Latinx, and one in five Black women experience eviction in their lifetime. The NYC Housing Crisis was only exasperated by COVID and needs our attention now more than ever.
The Right to Counsel NYC Coalition is leading the fight for an eviction-free NYC and providing free legal representation to those facing eviction. Along with Housing Justice For All, RTC is fighting to ensure housing for all.
Emma Josephine Rucci is thrilled to be back at No Exit with Romeo and Juliet! Emma is an actor based in Connecticut. She is a recent graduate of Drew University with her BA in Theatre Arts. She is also a 2019 alum of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's Acting Apprenticeship Program. Some of Emma's favorite roles include Ilse in Spring Awakening and Martha Dunnstock in Heathers, both at Drew University.
Myka Cue (she/her) is a Filipino-Chinese actor, producer, writer and fierce collaborator. Born and raised in Manila, she moved to the United States in 2014 to pursue an undergraduate degree at NYU Gallatin, where she concentrated in multimedia storytelling and convergence culture. She is a current MFA in Acting candidate at Brown/Trinity Rep, where she continues to pursue her curiosity and passion for diverse and socially-driven stories. Recent theatre credits include A View from the Bridge and Seayoung Yim's Jar of Fat at Brown/Trinity Rep. NYC credits include Ionesco's The Killer (Access Theatre), Cherry Orchard (Columbia), The Crucible (NYU) and Antigone (NYU). @mykacue
Courtney Bryan Devon is a Black, Queer, Brooklyn-based Artist, Activist, and Educator. Through theatre, dance, and music, they create revealing, reviving and revolutionary intra-community experiences.
A classically trained conservatory alumnus of Shakespeare & Company, Barrington Stage Company, and a lifelong learner of companies to come, they exist as a recipient of an exceptional (and unconventional) arts education with which they reinvest into marginalized communities as a teaching artist. Courtney is a proud founding member and Artistic Coordinator of Black Shakespeare Project and a Director in Residence at NETC.
A descendant of Jamaican and Southern American chattel slavery, actively healing from intergenerational trauma, Courtney currently centers their work around the prioritization of healing justice for other Black queer people. In all things, Courtney strives to be a harbinger for healing and for hope, ultimately elevating and empowering through health and humanity.
Kristin Sgarro is a New York City actor, musician, and emcee. NYC (selected): Romeo (R&J), Olivia (Twelfth Night), Viola (Twelfth Night), Emilia/Composer (Othello), Mistress Page (Merry Wives), Celia (As You Like It), Phebe/LeBeau/Composer (As You Like It), Queen Margaret (Richard III). Kristin is a regular performer with Stag & Lion Theater Company (in The Garden and at Trinity Church), performer and composer for AMiOS’ monthly SHOTZ! series, and artist-of-all-trades (including Founder and Executive Artistic Director) at Match: Lit. Gratitude to NETC! Lead With Love. www.kristinsgarro.com / www.matchlit.org
Maya Murphy is stoked to be joining No Exit Theatre Collective for Romeo and Juliet! She is a massive nerd based out of Jersey City. Favorite Roles include: The Witch in Into the Woods. Mary Flynn in Merrily We Roll Along, and Black Canary in the DC Comics fan-series Nightwing: Escalation. www.mayamurphy.actor
Brennan O’Rourke is a white, trans-femme theatre practitioner, sexuality health educator, and poet dedicated to trans futures and anti-oppressive practices. Brennan holds a BA in Dramatizing Justice from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, which explored theatre and its relationship to communities efforts to create and imagine justice. As a director and facilitator, Brennan commits themself to stories that challenge and expand definitions of performance that uplift the project of liberation. They are a member of the F.U.N. (FiercedUntamedNiñes) Collective and TASSN. Their work has been showcased at Dixon Place, WOW Cafe Theater, The Tank, The Kraine Theater, Sitting Shotgun Players and Skidmore College. Brennan is pursuing an MA in Applied Theatre at CUNY School of Professional Studies.
Nathan Sievers is a New York-based actor making his No Exit debut. A graduate of the University of South Florida in English, Nathan studied briefly at New York University before deciding to train at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, with plans to pursue his Master's in acting next year. Noteworthy New York performance credits include Dally (Actualism), Enrique (The School for Wives), Antipholus of Ephesus (The Comedy of Errors), and Dean (Gloria,). He is also a member of the Rising Sun Theater Company. Nathan is very excited to join No Exit Theatre Collective in one of his favorite Shakespeare plays. He invites you to his website at nathansievers.com.
Jackie Alexis is an afrolatine nonbinary performer that started acting at the age of 7 years old. They've studied Theatre/Performance at LaGuardia Community College, NYU, and American Academy of Dramatic Arts. They have worked in video game cinematics, multimedia exhibitions, television, and numerous plays throughout New York City. Previous productions include Stickfly (Cheryl), Detroit '67 (Chelle), Make Sky Flow Honey (Self), and more.
Theodosia Arcidiacono is delighted to be making her third appearance with No Exit Theater Collective in Shakespeare's classic, Romeo and Juliet! A New York based actor and producer, she graduated from NYU with a BFA in Drama through the Stella Adler Studio. Select credits: Hailey in Daylight (Best Intentions), Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods (NexGen), Frannie in Taboo (New York Theater Festival) and Capulet in Romeo and Juliet (Stella Adler).
Taylor Congdon is currently based in the Philadelphia area with a B.A. in Theatre from DeSales University. Recent credits: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Arden Theatre Company) ; “Private Lives,” “Antony & Cleopatra,” “Robin Hood,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” and most recently “Two Gentlemen of Verona” as Julia (PA Shakespeare Festival); “Work(s) in Progress” (Hudson Guild Theatre) ; “Miracle on 34th Street,” “Working,” “Jungle Book” (DeSales University) “Live From Quarentine” (Table Top Broadway). She hopes to move to the NYC area in the spring in a hopefully post-COVID world. She’s always loved R+J, and is excited to delve into that world with this company of players.
Daisy Phillips is so excited to return to No Exit as Tech Director for "Romeo and Juliet"! She's a recent college grad and NYC-based Producer and Stage Manager. Off-Broadway: “The Argentinian Prostitute Play,” “OGYGIA,” “The Treatment.” College Stage Management highlights include: “Starlight Express!” “10 Out of 12,” and “A Very Pretty Word.” She is currently working as a Producing Associate at Honest Accomplice Theatre. Find her online at daisylphillips.com