/

‘Romeo and Juliet’ brings a modern sound to Shakespeare’s famous play

5 mins read
Matt Houston “plays the set” as part of Theatre UMF’s Romeo and Juliet. The play opens this Thursday, March 5.
Matt Houston

FARMINGTON – Theatre UMF will present a contemporary take on Romeo and Juliet this week, bringing Shakespeare’s famous tragedy to the fire escapes and chain link fences of the University of Maine at Farmington Alumni Theater. Accompanying the performance will be an original musical score composed by faculty member Matt Houston, a teacher of philosophy and music at the university.

Performances will be held on campus in the UMF Alumni Theater at 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, March 5, 6 and 7, and at 2 p.m., Sunday, March 8.

The performance boasts a 24-member cast that includes students, faculty and community members. Director Jayne Decker was interested in creating a contemporary Romeo and Juliet, using the Alumni Theater’s balconies and old pipes as a framework for a modern-day urban setting. While the play has been performed with a modern setting for both the stage and in film, Decker said that what her cast and crew had created would make the production distinctive.

An important part of that distinct vibe is the music, Decker said. Houston had never composed for a play before, but was interested in collaborating with Decker and getting outside of his wheelhouse. From the beginning, Houston sought to combine Elizabethan elements with the music and sounds of the modern era. He worked on specific scenes – such as a masked ball in the first act that will feature Houston playing alongside musicians playing a drum and a mandolin – while other portions were adapted on the fly as he watched the play come together.

Actors, Jeremy Tingdahl of Wilmington, Mass. (Sampson), at left, and Kenzie McMahon of Rockland (Gregory) rehearse a scene from Romeo and Juliet to be performed March 5-8 at UMF’s Alumni Theater.

“I’m learning as I go along,” Houston said. Watching the play clued him into specific needs, such as needing music for transitions.

Houston listened to early lute music, including the work of Renaissance composer John Dowland, to find specific rhythms and chords that could be adapted to a modern setting. While writing the music, Houston also added his own style – a hybrid-Jazz style he experimented with on a guitar. After composing the music, he spent weekends at UMF’s recording studio in Merrill Hall.

The play features entirely music composed by Houston, at times pre-recorded and at times performed on-stage by Houston, UMF students Joshua Grant and Jeremy Tingdahl and Mt. Blue High School student Avery Jessen. Perhaps the most dramatic example is a scene that features Houston “playing the set” – banging on pipes, chain link fencing and other objects to create a fearsome crescendo.

Admission for the performance is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and students 18 and under, and $5 for UMF students with I.D. Tickets are available at the time of the performance and can be reserved by calling the Theatre UMF box office at (207) 778-7465.

This Theatre UMF production is sponsored by the UMF Division of the Arts.

Cast and Crew

Gregory/Petruchio – Kenzie McMahon; Rockland
Sampson/Chief Watchman – Jeremy Tingdahl; Wilmington, Mass.
Apothecary – Matthew Houston
Abram/Balthasar/Servant (Clown) – Paul Riddell; Standish
Benvolio – Hailey Craig; Trenton
Tybalt – Sophie Hendrix; Gorham
Prince Escalus – Simoane Lowell; Clinton
Capulet – Eric Brown
Lady Capulet – Emalyn Remington; Poultney, Ver.
Mercutio – Eila McCulloch; Scituate, Mass.
Romeo – Eli Mowry; Kennebunk
Paris – Evan Burnell; Monmouth
Montague –Valerie Sanborn; Gray
Lady Montague – Charlotte Turner; Old Town
Juliet – Audrey Bradbury; Eastport
Nurse – Daniel Robbins
Peter – Brock Bubar; Etna
Citizen of Verona (various roles) – Cameron Westfall; Bath
Citizen of Verona (various roles) – Noah Willette; Farmington
Friar Lawrence – Dan Gunn
Friar John – Henry Wanat; Parkman
Page – Avery Jessen
Street Musician – Matthew Houston
Street Musician – Joshua Grant; Strong

Director – Jayne Decker
Composer – Matthew Houston
Scenic and Lighting Design – Stan Spilecki
Fight Choreography – Jayne Decker
Masque Choreography – Bobbie Hanstein
Make-up and Mask Design – Hailey Craig; Trenton
Sound Design – Joel Johnson
Costume Coordinator – Samantha Wood
Stage manager – Matty Bernard; Farmington

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.