An older Romeo and Juliet cast

September 20th, 2013 at 4:12:43 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
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The newest Broadway production of Romeo and Juliet casts a 26 year old Juliet opposite a 34 year old Romeo. Even Mercutio is 42 years old.

What do you think about casting adults in these parts? In 1936 the actors were famously old in the movie with John Barrymore playing Mercutio at age 54, Norma shearer a 34 year old Juliet, and Leslie Howard a 42 year old Romeo.

Directors have been trying to cast much younger people since the 1960's when Olivia Hussey played Juliet at age 15. Claire Danes was only 17 when her Juliet hit the screen.

To be fair, this is a broadway production which would be hard to staff with teenagers like a movie. But early 20's instead of 30's and 40's. Condola Rashad was born in the 3rd season of Cosby where her mother played Claire Huxtable.
September 20th, 2013 at 6:17:31 AM permalink
Fleastiff
Member since: Oct 27, 2012
Threads: 62
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What ages did Shakespeare cast them at?
September 24th, 2013 at 2:48:18 PM permalink
odiousgambit
Member since: Oct 28, 2012
Threads: 154
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I only had a problem with the age of Robert Preston in 'The Music Man' [who was otherwise perfectly cast]

When it comes to Romeo and Juliet I prefer "The West Side Story" version.
I'm Still Standing, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah [it's an old guy chant for me]
September 24th, 2013 at 3:33:32 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
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Quote: Fleastiff
What ages did Shakespeare cast them at?

Juliet would have been played by a prepubescent boy.
September 24th, 2013 at 4:22:49 PM permalink
Fleastiff
Member since: Oct 27, 2012
Threads: 62
Posts: 7831
Quote: Pacomartin
Juliet would have been played by a prepubescent boy.
Strange, that. After all, theaters at the time were generally ante rooms to houses of ill-repute though it seems strange that females could attend a theater but not perform a female role. Still, I imagine this places a new veiw point on the question of casting an older female for the present day role.
September 24th, 2013 at 5:25:14 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: Fleastiff
Strange, that. After all, theaters at the time were generally ante rooms to houses of ill-repute ...


I thought that the bordellos, theaters, and bear baiting rings were all in the same district, but I never heard of them in the same building.

Bubonic Plague shut down the Theaters in 1593 , 1603 and 1608 . The movie "Shakespeare in Love" is set in 1593. In 1563,(before Shakespeare was born) in London alone, over 20,000 people died of the disease. .

Theaters were closed from 1642-1660 by the Puritans so an entire generation of boy-female actors was lost. Finally in December 1661 women were permitted on the stage. In 1665 after he was dead the Great Plague of London killed 17,500 out of the population of 93,000. Many conservative people viewed it as God's wrath.

The last woman to burned alive for witchcraft in Britain was at Exeter in 1684. In America the Salem Witch trials were in 1692.