William Shakespeare 

Søren Olsen 

Maggie McClellan 

Mainstage 

September 2 

October 3-9 

October 10-12 & 16-18 

Description 

Sharp, brave, curious, perceptive, and emotionally fearless, often “acting the part” but having different motives.  
 
In love with Romeo. 

Daughter of Capulets.  

ANIMAL: Fox.  

Raw, emotional, delicate, romantic, unpredictable, and easily overwhelmed by his own feelings. 

In love with Juliet.  

Son of Montagues.  

ANIMAL: Moth.  

Witty, volatile, and sex-crazed, relentless. Secretly in love with Romeo. Entitled.  

Kinsman of Prince 

ANIMAL: Goat.  

Observant, sensitive, watchful, and cautious. A “fixer”. 

Cousin of Romeo.  

ANIMAL: Deer. 

Proud, fast, aggressive, intense, and unyielding. Toxic Masculinity.  

Cousin of Juliet.  

ANIMAL: Hornet.

Commanding, impatient, and emotionally rigid. Territorial.  Loves attention and to be flattered. Rich. Entitled. Kind of a monster.  

Father of Juliet.  

ANIMAL: Bull.

Distant and performative. Poised. Playing “the good wife.” Scared of screwing up.  

Mother of Juliet. 

ANIMAL: Peacock.  

Polished, persistent, suave, cunning, calculated.  

Desires Juliet as a bride.  

ANIMAL: Panther.  

Warm, loyal, caretaker, earthy, noisy, sometime playful, sometimes serious. Trying too hard.  

Serves Juliet and The Capulets.  

ANIMAL: Hen.  

Thoughtful, careful, deliberate, secretly egoic, person of faith. Observant. Smoker.  

ANIMAL: Owl.  

Stern. Rational. A politician. Commanding. Presentation of kindness and benevolence, secretly power hungry.  

ANIMAL: Elephant.  

Traditional, conservative, kind, and a little oblivious.  

Father of Romeo.  

ANIMAL: Horse.  

Caring, sweet, rational but easily thrown off course.   

Mother of Romeo.  

ANIMAL: Swan.  

Side roles that build the world. Includes:  

Sampson 

Gregory 

Abram 

Balthasar 

The Apothecary 

Friar John 

ANIMAL: Ant, Dog, Ferret, Lemer 

After a public brawl between the two wealthiest families ends in a fatal warning from the Prince, Romeo and Juliet meet at a party thrown to reassert the Capulets’ social dominance, falling in love before learning they are sworn enemies. As tensions rise and further violence claims lives, Juliet is promised in marriage for political and financial gain, despite having already secretly wed Romeo with the help of a Friar who uses their union in hopes of healing the divide. But after Romeo kills Tybalt in a grief-fueled rage over Mercutio’s death, he is banished, setting off a series of misfortunes. Juliet fakes her death with the Friar’s help, but the message fails to reach Romeo in time. In trying to escape a system that polices their intimacy, the two take their own lives.  

Content Advisory: Self-inflicted harm, suicide, stage-violence, graphic violence and stage-blood, partial-nudity (undergarments), adult language/content/themes, mild drug use

Fight Choreography Breakdown

General Note: Much of the violence and intimacy in this production will be devised collaboratively in the room, guided by safe and respectful practices led by trained intimacy and fight choreographers. While the script outlines certain required moments, many will be ensemble-generated. The following list includes script-based needs and some desired moments, but is not exhaustive—actors should anticipate physical and intimate storytelling across nearly every role. This includes the generation of an entirely unwritten act VI.

General relationships that may include familial or romantic relationship intimacy: