Step into the world of star-crossed lovers and bitter rivalries in the theatrical production of “Romeo & Juliet” at County College of Morris (CCM). This spellbinding performance of Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy will run for three nights only—Thursday through Saturday, March 6-8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Marielaine Mammon Black Box Theater.
The show opens to a street in Verona where audiences will be thrown into the middle of a long-standing bloody and brutal battle between two families—the Capulets and the Montagues. Amid the chaos, two young souls, Romeo and Juliet, meet by chance and fall madly in love. Their passion is forbidden but the couple decides to defy and marry in secret. As pride, betrayal and heartbreak collide, their love becomes a desperate fight against time—one that leads to a devastating conclusion of death.
“Romeo & Juliet is so much more than a love story. It is a tragedy, a cautionary tale of two warring families, so committed to a tradition of hatred, that they stifle their children’s potential to explore their own desires, their own values and their own meaning of love,” said Director Michele Danna, of the Marielaine Mammon School of Music, Performing Arts and Music Technologies at CCM. “Though this play was written over 400 years ago, it has been truly incredible to witness our young actors working with this text and discussing themes such as breaking generational patterns, challenging familiar norms, and what love and honor mean to them. It has been aspiring to direct and teach students who are on the precipice of adulthood as they approach characters who are also examining their own place in their world.”
The cast and crew include: Ethan Abellard (Romeo)—Rockaway; Carolina Hunchak (Juliet)—Denville; Andrew Berkemeyer (Lord Capulet)—Randolph; Savanna Brackelmanns-Puig (Montague/Apothecary)—Randolph; Matthew Budesheim (Mercutio)—Butler; Sebastian Cedeno (Citizen)—Mine Hill; Jayden Cohen (Abraham)—Mount Tabor; Elijah Cooke (Frair Laurence)—Belvidere; Collin Eagen (Paris)—Livingston; Kyri Fletcher (Sampson)—Parsippany; Khristen Giron (Citizen)—Dover; Hyron Gonzalez Jr. (Tybalt)—Mount Olive; Elizabeth Grant (Lady Capulet)—Wayne; Diana Luba (Benvolio)—Rockaway; Victoria Morris (Angelica, the Nurse)—Mount Olive; Gwendolyn Rivera (Prince Escalus)—Parsippany; Kathryn Sanders (Gregory/Assistant Director)—Long Valley; Cristie Ventura Cedeno (Peter)—Hackettstown; Wyatt Whittenburg (Stage Manager)—Roxbury; and Justin Wyble (Assistant Stage Manager)—Jefferson.
Do not miss this emotionally charged production, brought to life by CCM’s talented cast, in the intimate setting of the Marielaine Mammon Black Box Theater. General admission tickets are $15 each and tickets for CCM students, alumni, children under 12 and seniors 62 and over are $10 each. To purchase, visit https://bookstore.ccm.edu/category/tickets-events/theater-shows. Visitors can park in Lot 7 at 214 Center Grove Road, Randolph and go directly to the Marielaine Mammon Black Box Theater, located in the Music and Technology Building (MTC) 105.
To learn more about the Marielaine Mammon School of Music, Performing Arts and Music Technologies at CCM, visit https://www.ccm.edu/departments/music-performing-arts-and-music-technologies/.
