THEA101

Final Project--VERSION #2

Wenning Fu

May 6, 2015

A FULL, FORMAL PRODUCTION TREATMENT

Of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

1. Directorial Vision Statement

I decide to explore Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and try to lead a theatre in the

full-creation of this play. The story of Romeo and Juliet is well-known internationally. Although

I was born in China, I heard of it back to my childhood. However, many people, including

myself, don't really know the details of this story, not to say appreciating the beautiful sentences

in the play. So I am really excited that I can direct this play on my own. In this statement, I will

explore the genesis of the writer and the script, analyze its genre in my own perspective,

introduce the contents of the play, and, at the same time, provide a guide for the process of how

to create the piece.

William Shakespeare, often called the English national poet, is widely considered the

greatest dramatist of all time. Shakespeare had mysterious Origin. The personal history of

William Shakespeare is somewhat a mystery. There are two primary sources that provide

historians with a basic outline of his life. One source is his work and the other is official

documentation such as church and court records. However, these only provide brief sketches of

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specific events in his life and provide little on the person who experienced those events

(biography.com). Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. “His

early plays were mainly comedies and histories and these works remain regarded as some of the

best work produced in these genres.”(wikipedia) He then wrote mainly tragedies until about

1608, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works

in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances.

(wikipedia). Shakespeare's work had a lasting impression on later theatre and literature. Until

Romeo and Juliet, romance had not been viewed as a worthy topic for tragedy. (Wikipedia)

Shakespeare did not invent the story of Romeo and Juliet. A poet named Arthur Brooks first

brought the story of Romeus and Juliet to an English-speaking audience in a long and plodding

poem that was itself not original, but rather an adaptation of adaptations that stretched across

nearly a hundred years and two languages. Many of the details of Shakespeare’s plot are lifted

directly from Brooks’s poem, including the meeting of Romeo and Juliet at the ball, their secret

marriage, Romeo’s fight with Tybalt, the sleeping potion, and the timing of the lover’s eventual

suicides. Such appropriation of other stories is characteristic of Shakespeare, who often wrote

plays based on earlier works. (Sparknotes.com) But Shakespere, of course, has his great

contribution and originality. The play distinguishes itself from its predecessors in several

important aspects: the subtlety and originality of its characterization (Shakespeare almost wholly

created Mercutio); the intense pace of its action, which is compressed from nine months into four

frenetic days; a powerful enrichment of the story’s thematic aspects; and, above all, an

extraordinary use of language. (Sparknotes.com)

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy William Shakespeare wrote early in his career about two

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young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among

Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and was frequently performed. About the

genre of Romeo and Julliet, it is well-known to be categorized into tragedy, as it is intitled in

1599 version of the play ''The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet''.

However, the play doen't become tragedy until Act 3, in which Mercutio is killed by Tybalt,

Julliet's cousin. In the first two acts, filled with jokes and humor, the play even looks like a

comedy. Why does Shakespeare make the first two acts of a tragedy relaxing and laughable? I

believe the reason is that when the happy contents suddenly turns into tragedies, the tragedies

will be even more moving and painful. Let us imagine, when Mercutio was killed, his dirty jokes

and teases to Romeo still echoes in our mind. But now he becomes a corpse, never able to joke

and laugh again. Then we think of his solicitude to Romeo, and his selfless help for Romeo. Such

a good man we like suddenly die before our eyes. The sudden impact, I believe, can make the

audiences want to cry.

In first two Act, the story began in city Verona between Montague and Capulet, two big

families in the city. Two families swore to be enemies for generations. Romea, the protagonist

was depressed at the beginning of the play because he love a girl, Rosaline, but Rosaline didn't

love him. His friend decided to cheer him up, so he advised Romeo to take part in the ball at the

Capulet house, hoping that Romeo could find a girl to love. In the ball, Romeo was attracted by

Julliet, Capulet's daughter. He expressed his appreciation towards the girl. Then Romeo got to

know that Julliet loved him, too, when he heard Julliet's calling of his name behind the windows.

They fell in love and married each other. Friar Laurence a Franciscan friar, agreed to become

their confidant because he hoped that the conflict between two families can be appeased. For this

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two acts, I am going to produce happy, funny and relaxing atmosphere. The light will be bright,

the music will be witty, and the costumes will be colorful. Jokes and humor will be exaggerated

to make the audience laugh. When Romeo and Julliet met, romantic music rang out. They would

be the sweetest lovers in the world when they fell in love with each other. And when they got

married, audience would even forget their family background and thought they could stay

together forever. In this way, the tragedy in next acts can be even more painful.

In Act 3, Romeo encountered Tybalt, a cousin of Julie. Tybalt challenged him to a duel but

Romeo, considering Tybalt as his kinsman, refused. However, Romeo's friend Mercutio was

incensed and accepts the duel on Romeo's behalf. Mercutio was killed in the duel. Enraged,

Romeo challenged and slayed Tybalt. Then Romeo was ordered to leave Verona forever and if he

came back, he would be executed. Juliet grieved for both Tybalt and Romeo. She had conflicting

feelings but eventually decided to stand behind her husband, Romeo. Right after Romeo’s left,

Count Paris, a kinsman of the ruler of Verona, came and proposed to Julliet. Capulet was very

satisfied and ordered Jullliet marry him. He threatened to disown her if she did not marry obey

him. In this act, tragedies happened successively. When the audience are still immerse in the fun

of Mercutio’s jokes, he suddenly died, never able to joke and laugh anymore. The stunning

turning point can break audience’s heart. So I decide to emphasize this turning point. When

Mercutio and Tybalt were in the duel, the music and light still make the play look like a comedy.

And audiences would even suppose that Mercutio would win. When Mercutio was wounded

deadly, I would suddenly change the music to be thrilling. When Romeo confirmed that Mercutio

was dead, the music became sorrowful, and the light became dimmer. At this time, audiences

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start to realize that the play is not just a happy story about two lovers. Then, Romeo killed Tybalt

and was exiled. It meant that the loves would be separated. When Romeo and Julliet learned the

judgement, the light would become even dimmer. And the music would be depressed.

In Act 4 and Act 5, Friar Laurence came up with an idea. He gave Julliet a special poison that

would make her seemingly dead for 42 hours. After 42 hours she will awake in the tomb. And

then Romeo can dig her tomb out. However, when Romeo heard Julliet's death, he instantly left

before Friar Laurence's messenger could reach him. He killed Paris and himself. After Julliet

woke up, she saw Romeo die beside her. So she killed herself, too. The families realized their

mistakes, but it was too late. They decided to eliminate the grudge become reconciled. In the

final acts, the tragic atmosphere reached climax. The conflict with their love and their family

background finally induced their death. In these 2 acts, I am going to use weather to exaggerate

the atmosphere and reflect Romeo and Julliet’s mood. In the last two acts, the light will be dim to

produce cloudy weather in order to make a depressing environment. The final moments—Romeo

and Julliet killed themselves—would happen in a thunderstorm day. The sound of rain and

thunder, together with the light of lightning, would be simulated.

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2. Root Conflict Statement:

I think the root conflict arose when Romeo and Julliet, born in two families that had fought

each other for a long time, fell in love with each other. They loved each other deeply, but

because of the hatred between their families, their path towards happiness was doomed to be

filled with obstacles. Apparently, the conflict between Romeo and Julliet’s love and their family

background is the root conflict of the piece.

In the play, the root conflict leads to many confrontations among people from two families,

including quarrel, fight, and even death. The first time Romeo went to the ball of Capulet,

Tybalt, Julliet’s cousin wanted to kill Romeo. From this we can understand how deeply Capulets

hate Montagues. The second time Romeo encountered Tybalt, Tybalt challenged him to a duel,

because he got to know that Romeo sneaked into the garden where Julliet lived. Then Romeo’s

friend was killed and Romeo killed Tybalt. The death, I believe, were the result of the root

conflict—the conflict between Romeo and Julliet’s love and their family relationship. Besides,

Julliet’s father threatened to disown her if she refused to be Paris’ “joyful bride”. But Julliet still

loved Romeo and couldn’t accept any other man at that time. Father and daughter contradicted

each other because of the root conflict.

In the final moments of the play, because Friar Laurence’s messenger didn’t reach Romeo

promptly, Romeo killed himself and Julliet, found Romeo dead beside her, killed herself, too.

The root conflict induced their death. Although their death brought peace between two families,

the root conflict was not solved.

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3. Design Elements:

Set: to make the tragedy more moving, I will use realistic settings, I will use tradition illusionism

established on sixteenth-century painted scenery. Besides the painted scenery, doors, building

will be simulated like the picture below.

Costumes: costumes for men in the play would just look like the costumes used in the play’s

predecessors (like first picture below). But costumes for women will be fashionable (like second

picture below). For Julliet, her costume will be the clothes in the third picture below.

I think this will attract more contemporary audiences.

Lights: I decide to use lights that can adjust its brightness and

color. In first two scenes, light will be golden and bright so that

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sunshine day will be generated. In the third scene, lights will become dim and depressing. In the

last two acts, lights are used to simulate cloudy, rainy and thunderstorm weather.

Sound: In first two acts, relaxing and funny music will be played to make the play sounds like a

comedy. In the third act, thrilling and breath-taking music will be played. In this way, audiences

are shocked and then sorrow for the tragedy of Mercutio’s death. In the last two acts, depressing

music will be played. When Romeo and Julliet died, I want to use "Memories" by Within

Temptation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhzJO34SCoc), because the song is rueful and

the lyric fit the plot of the story. Also, sound of rain and thunder will be generated in order to

exaggerate the atmosphere.

Props:

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the swords Romeo, Mercutio and Tybalt wear

The flower used by Count Paris when he proposes to Julliet

The special poison Friar Laurence gave Julliet

The dagger Romeo and Julliet used to kill themselves

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4. Floor Plan:

To let audience immerse themselves into the play, I will use thrust stage. I will use tradition

illusionism established on sixteenth-century painted scenery. First picture below (a) is a graphic

example of thrust stage I want to use. Also, because there’s a scene when Romeo sneaks into

Julliet’s garden and Julliet was calling Romeo’s name besides the window. There will be a

higher platform where Julliet can stand on. In that scene, grass and flowers in the garden will be

simulated. To be more specific, grass props in picture (b) will be used

(a) (b)

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5. Program Note:

Program Notes

“Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Wenning Fu, director

6 May 2015

Scene breakdown

Time: 2015

Place: Verona

Act I,II

20 minutes intermission

Act III,IV,V

This is a moving love story between two lovers, Romeo and Julliet.

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Historical Context:

William Shakespeare, born in 1564 to a successful middle-class glove-maker in Stratford-

upon-Avon, England, is probably the most influential writer in all of English literature. He

attended grammar school, but his formal education proceeded no further. Around 1590 he left his

family behind and traveled to London to work as an actor and playwright. Public and critical

success quickly followed, and Shakespeare eventually became the most popular playwright in

England and part-owner of the Globe Theater.

Shakespeare did not invent the story of Romeo and Juliet. A poet named Arthur Brooks first

brought the story of Romeus and Juliet to an English-speaking audience in a long and plodding

poem that was itself not original, but rather an adaptation of adaptations that stretched across

nearly a hundred years and two languages. Shakespere, of course, has his great contribution and

originality. The play distinguishes itself from its predecessors in several important aspects: the

subtlety and originality of its characterization (Shakespeare almost wholly created Mercutio); the

intense pace of its action, which is compressed from nine months into four frenetic days; a

powerful enrichment of the story’s thematic aspects; and, above all, an extraordinary use of

language. (Sparknotes.com)

About my creation:

I made my production to be different from its predecessors. I added elements of fashion into

the play. The clothes of women would be not only exotic but also fashionable. I think in this

way, more audiences will be attracted.

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I tried my best to make the play like a comedy in first two acts, and exaggerate relaxing and

happy atmosphere. In the third act, when Mercutio suddenly dies, the comedy turns into tragedy.

With first two acts like comedy, it is even more tragic when Mercutio dies.

Also, I use lights and sound to simulate weather. The weather can exaggerate atmosphere and

reflect the mood of characters. In the fourth Act, the weather will be cloudy or rainy to make the

atmosphere more depressing. In the fifth Act, the weather will be rainy and thunderstorm to

make the atmosphere depressing and sorrowful. Besides, when Mercutio dies, sound of a thunder

will be played to reflect the shock of Romeo.

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