Shakespeare's famous balcony scene is performed by the King's Theatrical Society (Photo: Steve Davis)

Wherefore art thou…Rosalie?

King’s theatre group introduces same-sex star-cross’d lovers in Romeo and Juliet production

What's in a name? Not much, according to the King's Theatrical Society, which is reinterpreting the role of Romeo in its production of Shakespeare's most famous play.

Director Maija Buckley-Pearson, a third-year student at King's, cast a female student in the role of Romeo, transforming the classic play into an engaging social commentary that reflects society's growing acceptance of same-sex couples.

In past years the society has sometimes cast women in male roles, but generally the women are then expected to play the role as a man. In this case, Romeo is actually being characterized as a woman-- one who happens to have a typically male name and is a lesbian.

However, it was not Buckley-Pearson's intention to make a statement about homosexuality with her choice of casting.

Video

King's Theatrical Society presents Romeo and Juliet with same-sex couple. Video: Colin Parrott

"I actually just went into the audition process going ‘whoever is best for this part regardless of gender is going to get the part,'" Buckley-Pearson said.

She says her cast was initially "a little unsure" about her decision to give the role of Romeo to a woman, but they quickly warmed up to the idea.

First-year King's student Chloe Hung, who will be playing Juliet, says she was surprised to find out Romeo was being played by a girl.

When Buckley-Pearson called Hung to ask her if she minded playing one of the most romantic and tragic characters of all time opposite another girl, Hung briefly hesitated.

"I sort of paused and thought about that and said, ‘well, yes, yes it is ok!" Hung said.

Letting go of the expected

The person who seems the least concerned with Romeo's gender is Romeo herself, played by second-year student Sabrina Uswak.

"I just sort of take it as a role and I want to give integrity to the character. I don't really think about the impressions that people are coming in with," Uswak said.

Uswak is not the only female taking on a male role in the play. The characters Benvolio and the Prince are both played by female actresses.

This break from traditional casting allows the director and the characters more freedom to interpret the different dynamics in the play.

"Because we are doing it differently it actually gives us more freedom to play," said James Rendell, who plays Mercutio.

"I don't have to be anything that's ever gone before partly because the play isn't really like any Romeo and Juliet I've ever seen before."

No one in the cast or crew is certain about what their audience's reaction will be, but they are hopeful people will be tolerant of the same-sex relationship in the play.

People in general have been accepting of the choice to cast a female as Romeo, Buckley-Pearson said. However, some people's reactions suggest they aren't as comfortable with it as others.

"[People are] just kind of ... confused by my choices in this show," Buckley-Pearson said.

"I like to think that mostly it is people going ‘oh, it wasn't written this way, so it's unusual,' and not people going ‘I'm really uncomfortable with homosexuality.'"

Casting opens up room for discussion

Whether the audience accepts two women as Romeo and Juliet remains to be seen. Either way, the casting raises the possibility for a discussion about whether theatre companies should modify classic plays in order to better reflect modern society.

Uswak hopes breaking from tradition will inspire some discussion among students.

"I'm hoping we really move people and that we give them something to talk about afterwards," Uswak said.

"I think there are a lot of witty things now with the character changes that have been done that give a lot of social commentary that you could totally have fun talking about afterwards."

Despite the somewhat controversial casting, the director says the play remains what Shakespeare set out for it to be: a tragic love story.

"These stories don't change if we tell them non-traditionally," Buckley-Pearson said. "It's still just as powerful between two women as it is between a man and a woman and it actually shouldn't matter."

The King's Theatrical Society is the latest university theatre group to tackle homosexual relationships in their plays.

In 2007, Carleton University's Sock N' Buskin group performed Othella, a version of Shakespeare's Othello that featured the main characters as lesbians.

Last November Dalhousie University presented The Laramie Project, a play based on the aftermath of the real-life murder of a gay university student.

The King's Theatrical Society's presentation of Romeo and Juliet runs from Wednesday, Jan. 14 to Saturday, Jan.17.

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