Garfield Shakespeare Company coming to Rebekah Park
Aug. 2—GREENSBURG — The Garfield Park Shakespeare Company is bringing its rendition of the Shakespearian tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" to the Rebekah Park Amphitheater the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday of August.
The Indianapolis theater troupe was founded in 2008 and has produced Shakespearian plays at MacAllister Amphitheater and the Garfield Park Art Center every year since.
Now, thanks to a partnership between the Greensburg/Decatur County Public Library and the popular thespian troupe, the Bard's beloved romantic tragedy about star-crossed lovers will spring to the Rebekah Park stage with all the swordfights, comedy, drama, love and despair true Shakespeare aficionados love.
For those who aren't familiar with the play, or were sleeping in senior English class, the story begins when Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague meet and fall instantly in love at a masked ball of the Capulets, where they profess their love.
Romeo, unwilling to leave, climbs the wall into the orchard garden of the Capulet house and finds Juliet alone at her window.
Because their well-to-do families are enemies, the two are married secretly by Friar Laurence.
When Tybalt, a Capulet, seeks out Romeo in revenge for the insult of Romeo's having dared to shower his attentions on Juliet, an ensuing scuffle ends in the death of Romeo's dearest friend, Mercutio.
Compelled by a code of honor among men, Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished to Mantua by the Prince of Verona, who has been insistent that the family feuding cease.
When Juliet's father, unaware that Juliet is already secretly married, arranges a marriage with the eminently eligible Count Paris, the young bride seeks out Friar Laurence for assistance in her desperate situation.
He gives her a potion that will make her appear to be dead and proposes that she take it, and that Romeo rescue her. She complies. Romeo, however, unaware of the friar's scheme because a letter has failed to reach him, returns to Verona upon hearing of Juliet's apparent death.
He encounters a grieving Paris at Juliet's tomb, reluctantly kills him when Paris attempts to prevent Romeo from entering the tomb, and finds Juliet in the burial vault. There he gives her a last kiss and kills himself with poison. Juliet awakens, sees the dead Romeo, and kills herself.
The families learn what has happened and end their feud.
GDC Library Children's Services Manager Jill Pratt is excited about the opportunity for Greensburg to enjoy Shakespeare in their own backyard.
"I don't think anything like this has been done in Decatur County before," Pratt said. "We're trying to create some excitement about it by having a life-size cutout of Juliet here at the library, and Romeo is being placed in windows around town for the next couple of weeks."
If you find Romeo during your travels downtown, take a photo with him and post it on social media using the hashtag #WhereIsRomeo".
Free performances of "Romeo and Juliet" at Rebekah Park are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, August 5; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, August 6; and 2 p.m. Sunday, August 7.
Contact Bill Rethlake at 812-651-0876 or email bill.rethlake@greensburgdailynews.com
