ROMEO AND JULIET is a tragic love story by William Shakespeare about two young people from feuding families who fall in love and eventually die in tragedy. The play’s themes include love and violence, fate, family and duty, and individuals versus society. In this new adaptation, developed by Keegan PLAY-RAH-KA (PRK) in collaboration with DCPS students, the classical play will take on fresh, new life as students participate in the creative writing and performance process. They will then engage in important conversations about this timeless, tragic tale and its relevance to their lives.
This project is supported in part by Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
ROMEO AND JULIET is a required text for every ninth grade student in the District of Columbia’s Public Schools (DCPS), but sadly, required reading often falls short when it comes to inspiring students; we at Keegan want to help them truly engage with the play. As part of the complete field trip experience, students will participate via in-school pre- and post-workshops, exploring the intersection between the original text and their lives, and collaborate with teaching artists to write text that will be used in a world premiere adaptation of the play.
The Keegan Theatre will produce the play with professional artists and bring these 500 D.C. students to see their own words and ideas brought to life on stage. Through this experience, students will develop skills in creative writing and performance, and engage in important conversations about this timeless, tragic tale and its relevance to their lives.