By Emily Crescitelli
Staff Writer
The famed Shakespearian play, Romeo and Juliet was performed by NHS students in this year’s student production. The tale of love and loss stared freshmen Will Swyers and Nora Kaye as Romeo and Juliet.
The small cast consisted of 12 actors, one of which, senior Danny Coates-Finke, directed. The play was put together in only six weeks but the lack of time could not be seen from the audience. Lines were fully memorized, transitions were smooth, and the expectations for a student production were taken to a higher level.
“It was funny to be on the other side of the casting thing because at a certain point it doesn’t really matter. You have four girls, and they are all awesome,” Coates-Finke said. “They all have a lot to offer and it’s kind of a shame but I kind of wish I could have had a bigger cast.”
Coates-Finke added his own creative changes within the production. Junior Corinne Austen played Juliet’s mother as well as Romeo’s cousin combined into one powerful character.
Sophomore Chris Gonzalez played Mercutio, Romeo’s friend, through a TV screen. Coates-Finke also appeared as Friar Laurence. The unique variations of this classic play added a nice twist for the audience. Senior Gretchen Ravenhurst used modern clothing to revamp the original costumes, and the set was designed by the stagecraft class. This, the last show of the school year, held more significance in that it was also the final production many of these senior actors will partake in.
