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ROMEO+JULIET (A COVER)

Adapted and Directed by Prof. Jennifer Dobby | Music Direction by Julie Johnson '98 | Music Arrangements by Mark Wampfler '19
Oct. 22-24, 2020 | Streamed LIVE in Shattuck Auditorium

The production is a musical adaptation of the Shakespeare classic - it's 50% original Shakespearean text and 50% contemporary cover songs played by a live pit - and will be performed this Fall as a true multi-media production (a combination of filmed and live performance).

HOW DID THIS ALL WORK?

Below is a guided, interactive page that follows two podcasts from The Box Office Insider Podcast about how ROMEO+JULIET (A COVER) was created.  Find the links to the podcasts below and follow along by using the time stamps as your guide.
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PART 1
4:45 - To the left is the original Spring 2020 cast of ROMEO+JULIET (A COVER).  Due to COVID-19 guidelines and schedule conflicts, many of the roles had to be recast and reimagined.  The cast size went from 35 down to 20, and many actors had to take on multiple roles.  Below is a link to the ROMEO+JULIET (A COVER) program featuring the Spring 2020 cast and crew members.
7:55 - To the right is BLOOD//WATER by grandson, the final number of the first act of ROMEO+JULIET (A COVER).  This was the first song chosen for the production when Director Prof. Jenn Dobby was writing the show, as it fit perfectly in the scene where Tybalt kills Mercutio and Romeo subsequently kills Tybalt in an epic sword fight.  Below is a link to a YouTube playlist that includes all of the songs that were in the production, including some that didn't quite make it into the live performance.  
12:10 - To the left are some pictures from the various music video shoots that were spread throughout the semester.  Music video shoots ranged from an hour and a half to five hours, and everything from lighting, costumes, effects, and set pieces had to be completed or near completion before the shoot started.  We had a wide range of videographers, including Theatre Majors, Film & TV Minors, GRC: 330: Video and Motion Graphics students, and an alumni who now works professionally in the video production field. 
To the right is a screenshot of the entire ROMEO+JULIET (A COVER) Rehearsal Schedule.  The red and dark green boxes represent music video shoots, which, as you can see, were primarily done in the earlier weeks of the production.  Light green represents blocking, orange represents choreography, and purple represents music rehearsal.  The final week represents tech week leading up the the performances.
15:15 - To the left is one of the recordings that our pit recorded over the summer with professional sound engineer, Greg Klas.  We were able to safely record instrumental versions of all of the songs, including some with vocals.  This was done in case the production had to be moved to a virtual platform and to aid the videographers in lining the footage up to what would eventually be live audio.
18:00 - To the right are some of the mood board that the videographers put together before they shot their music videos.  You will be able to recognize some of the imagery and color schemes, as they were reflected in their music videos.  Below is a link to the shot list for YOUNGBLOOD, done by Anthony Metz and Anthony Tirrell.  Different from a mood board, the shot list details every shot the videographers wanted to get in order.
21:00 - To the left is an example of one of the click tracks the live pit band used in order to stay on track during a music video number.  Greg Klas created the click tracks to cue in the band and stage manager Skylar Campbell timed each one to start at the exact time they needed to in the music video.
25:30 - To the right are some pictures from our Photo Run taken by Robert Colletta highlighting the different technical aspects of the production.  We had a live audience in Shattuck for all of the performances.  In order for audiences to see what was happening in the Otteson, we had three cameras stationed at the top of the seats capturing everything on stage.  The live band was also in Otteson with the actors so everyone could hear what everyone heard in the live stream.  During music video numbers, the actors would stand on stage and sing while the stage crew set up for the next scene.
PART 2
3:50 - To the left is Director Prof. Jenn Dobby's original directorial concept for the Spring 2020 production of ROMEO+JULIET (A COVER).  All of these elements, including the set, costumes, lighting, and graphic design would also transfer over to the Fall 2020 production.  The main goal was to combine the theme of space and the idea of "star-crossed lovers" with the tone of a modern rock concert.
10:25 - To the right is an example of a Performance Report.  After every performance, stage manager Skylar Campbell would send the cast and crew a Performance Report that would include information like the production run time, technical issues, house count, and more.  Since the actors and crew could not see or hear how the audience reacted to the show, they included performance notes so that everyone knew when the best moments of the show were.  
11:40 - To the left is a picture of our Paper Patrons in the Otteson.  Because the production was being live streamed to Shattuck, it left the Otteson seats empty, but not for long.  Sara Meyer, Promotions and Events Manager for the Visual and Performing Arts Department, recently started a program called Paper Patrons, where anyone could purchase a "seat" for all of the VPA events throughout this year.  The cast and crew were so excited to see everyone's smiling faces out in the audience, even if they couldn't be there in person.
13:10 - To the right are pictures from some of our rehearsals leading up to the performance. From day one of the semester until the minute the production premiered, the cast of ROMEO+JULIET (A COVER) was rehearsing almost every day to make the production as we all know it to be.  Everyday, temperatures were checked, masks were worn at all times, props were sanitized, and everyone was as physically distanced as the scene allowed.  For more behind the scenes of the rehearsal process and more, click the link below to watch ROMEO+JULIET (A COVER) Behind The Scenes.
15:00 - To the left is a photo by Robert Colletta of when Romeo and Juliet kiss for the first time.  Of course, the actors couldn't kiss for real, as that would very much be against COVID-19 guidelines; however, a little theatre magic made it possible.  To make it work, the actors, Gavin Steele and Maddy Buchta, stood behind a curtain with a bright light shining from behind.  They then positioned themselves to be on completely different planes and leaned in, making the illusion of a kiss.
21:55 - To the right is a comparison of the photo we used in the majority of our marketing materials and the last moment of the show, after the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.  From the live stream, this subtle detail may have been missed, but for Prof. Dobby, it was a necessary detail that tied everything about the production together.

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