ROMEO AND JULIET - Stratford Festival

played Widow Capilet. Music was composed by Berthold Carrière, sound design by Jim
Neil, choreography by John Broome and fight consultant was John Stead.
IN OTHER TERMS
The play has been produced twice for television: Tyrone Guthrie’s version in 1968 and
another in 1981.
OF INTEREST
Love’s labour’s won?
In the 18th century, All’s Well was thought to be the “mysterious” Love’s Labour’s Won
which Frances Meres had mentioned in 1598. However, Samuel Taylor Coleridge
suggested that an early version of the play was “indeed Love’s Labour’s Won but that
Shakespeare rewrote and re-titled it between 1604 and 1606.” Another researcher found a
printer’s list that suggested Love’s Labour’s Won was a possible sequel to Love’s
Labour’s Lost. Others have suggested that the play was perhaps an early version of The
Taming of the Shrew!
A hit!
The Stratford Festival’s 1953 production was so popular that its run was extended due to
heavy demand for tickets. It was performed 21 times that first season, from July 14 to
August 22. The production was controversial since Guthrie directed it as a farce, in
modern dress.
ON THE INTERNET
For the text of the play online: http://shakespeare.mit.edu/allswell/index.html
________________________________________________________________________
ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION
PERIOD AND SETTING
The action of the play occurs in France and Italy (although when Shakespeare wrote his
play, Rossillion was part of Spain, not France). Our production will be set during the
mid-Victorian era of the 1880s.
CASTING
Parolles................................Juan Chioran
King of France ....................Brian Dennehy
Countess of Rossillion ........Martha Henry
Bertram ...............................Jeff Lillico
Lafew ..................................Stephen Ouimette
- 24 -