A gender-blind ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Director Bell says unique cast shows love is universal
When Seminole State College opens a production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” tonight, “fair Verona” will look worse for wear.
The college has set the tragic romance in a post-apocalyptic world of chaos. But that’s not the most unusual thing about this production. Director Bobbie Bell has cast the leading roles without regard to gender.
At some performances both Romeo and Juliet will be played by women, sometimes both by men. Sometimes, Romeo will be female and Juliet male.
The nontraditional casting serves two purposes, Bell says. First, it reinforces the idea that the lovestruck youths are commodities, pawns in their parents’ games. Second, and just in time for Valentine’s Day, it demonstrates the notion that love is universal — no matter who is sharing that strongest of bonds.
“With the casting done this way, it shows that it doesn’t matter who you are,” says actress Amberley Clark. “Love knows no bounds.”
Clark shares the role of Romeo with Cody Ross. Juliet is played by either Ezequiel Muriel or Fabiola Rivera.
“My chemistry with my male Romeo is different than with my female Romeo,” says Muriel, a sophomore psychology major who grew up in DeLand. “I’m more submissive with him, I feel more aggressive with her.”
Clark focuses not on Romeo’s gender, but on his characteristics.
“I make myself seem overly confident,” says Clark, also a sophomore psychology major. “I’m a very strong character, pushing the boundaries.”
The young actors influenced Bell’s decision to cast the play in this unconventional manner.
“I told them, ‘If you’re not comfortable, we’ll do something else,’” he says. “But they were the ones who pushed: ‘We want to do it this way.’”
The performers were eager to tackle coveted roles they thought were off-limits.
“I was thrilled,” enthuses Clark, of Altamonte Springs. Romeo “was a role I never thought I’d play.”
Bell says he sees a generational shift in attitude, reflected in growing support for ideals such as marriage equality.
“I’m really proud of them, they’re inspiring me,” he says of his students. “When I grew up,
the whole idea was to ‘tolerate’ other people. My students don’t just ‘tolerate’ people. They see that love is love.”
In the original work, Bell points out, Juliet is valuable because she is of child-bearing age. Her future children can make her family more powerful. That same idea translates to the college’s post-apocalypse setting in which the world needs repopulating. That makes young
PHOTOS BY BOBBIE BELL people valuable, whether male or female.
“Where procreation is important, love isn’t important,” Bell says. “Romeo and Juliet commit the sin of falling in love.”
The students aren’t shying away from the story’s famed romance.
“You see the sentimental side,” Muriel says. “She shows him what love is.”
“It’s not over the top, but there’s passion,” agrees Clark. That ardor remains the same whether she’s playing opposite Muriel or Rivera, she says: “As an actor, it’s part of the job.”
Muriel hopes the audience will respond to Shakespeare’s beloved tale — and not worry about which actors are playing which parts.
“With the connection we’ve all made to these characters,” he says, “regardless of male or female you can see the love that’s there.”