Romeo and Juliet and Trip to Mars
An innovative staging of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" kicked off a new season at the Juliusz Słowacki Theater in Cracow.
Directed by Marcin Hycnar, the Shakespeare classic opened Oct. 4 at the theater's Duża (Large) Stage. The titular roles are played by up-and-coming actors Ewa Jakubowicz, a graduate of the National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw, and Marcin Wojciechowski, still a student of the Academy for the Dramatic Arts in Cracow.
Hycnar wants his version of the play to be a bridge between Shakespeare 's time and the present day. Accordingly, the actors change between two sets of costumes, one inspired by the Elizabethan era and one made up of contemporary clothes. The time-bridge concept is also highlighted by a score that blends the music of the 16th century with contemporary sounds.
Hycnar's take on the drama differs slightly from what audiences have been used to seeing so far. The director says that "Romeo and Juliet" is usually seen as a depiction of mythical, romantic love that ends tragically. "I think it contains far morę subjects and complicated personalities that deserve morę attention," says Hycnar. "We sought to bring out and give more vitality to those freąuently omitted threads."
"Romeo and Juliet" is the first of eight new productions the Słowacki Theater has in storę this season. The second opened Oct. 11 at the theater's Miniatura Stage and is entitled Ziemia, planeta ludzi (English title: "Wind, Sand and Stars"). It is based on a book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, who built the story largely around his personal life and the lives of his fellow aviators. As the main character prepares for an expedition to Mars, serious complications occur in his personal life. The audience then keeps him company on his space voyage and, in the process, they are given an opportu-nity to ponder on the power of human emotions.
The play has been given a lavish visuaT setting, which, combined with a cast of some of the Słowacki Theater's finest actors and electronic musie by Ola Bilińska, makes for a fantastic show.
