To go or not to go,

that is the question

By Douglas Sulenta
The Collegian

A hot evening turned into an enchanting night as a group of local actors gave a rousing performance of “Romeo and Juliet” before a crowd of several hundred onlookers at the Woodward Park Shakespeare Festival.

With temperatures topping 100 degrees during the day, the performers and audience welcomed the subtle breeze through the amphitheater by nightfall.

The audience sat in appreciative silence through the performance that featured actors ranging from high school students to senior citizens. At the end the audience gave the performers a spirited round of applause lasting no less than five minutes as the actors were introduced to the crowd.

The show, which opened Aug. 25 and runs through Sept. 17 with shows every Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., comes on the heels of the cast’s previous four-week engagement of “Much Ado About Nothing.”

With an elaborate stage set up featuring the classic “Romeo and Juliet” balcony, the show went off without a hitch. Brilliant sword fights coupled with emotional death scenes had the crowd on the edge of their seats, and it’s safe to say, none left disappointed.

S. Eric Day, the director of the production, said the cast put in over six weeks of preparation for the show.

Kimberly Guevara who played Juliet is only a senior in high school. She said that she has been doing theatre since sixth grade and that she was able to fit the play into her schedule. “Monday was my first day of school, and it’s my senior year. I only have two classes and everything else is electives, and we’re not even dancing yet.”

Clovis local Adam Meredeth played Romeo. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. His list of accomplishments on stage include performances with the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and the Goodman Theatre of Chicago.

Maybe even more impressive than the play itself is the price of admission. Parking at Woodward Park is $3 and the performance is free.

So for all you broke college students looking for something to do for an evening, this may be the thing for you. And as “Romeo” says, “you could go on a date and come off as being all cultured.”

Members of this cast will also be directing staged readings at Woodward Library and Clovis Library throughout coming months. Among those staged readings will be “Two Gentlemen of Verona” and “The Taming of The Shrew.” Additional information on these events can be found at www.woodwardshakespeare.org.