Carson Grant Directs "Romeo and Juliet"

Tell me about the latest project you directed?
I directed an abbreviated version of this famous 1595 play by William Shakespeare about two teenage "star-cross'd lovers" whose "untimely deaths" unites the two household and ends their rivals.

This presentation was similar to the prose tragic 1582 Italian romance 'Palace of Pleasure' written by William Painter and the Italian 1562 translated verse "Romeus and Juliet' by Arthur Brooke; where only the main characters are respresented in the story.

How did you get involved in this piece?
Morna Murphy Martell from 'The Instant Shakespeare Company' asked me if I had the time to direct their company for the summer run in the "Shakespeare in the Garden" West Side Community Garden, NYC. I actually didn't give an answer, but asked to meet the cast.

How do you share your ideas as a director?
I first had to evaluate the stage environment and develop a vision for the show using the Garden's elevations and acoustics to the maximum advantage. There was no real budget so creative thinking and minimalism was the design sense; as in, using my window's sheer curtain for the shrouds.

I decided to have the actors wear white tops and black bottoms, and as a painter I splashed them with color.

Romeo and Juliet were light celestial blue, Tybalt was jealous green, Nurse and Peter were warm serving yellows, the Prince/Capulet were royal red and the Friar was deep commitment purple. I used black to represent evil anger as in the swords which were transparent black snapping towels; and transparent white for pure innocence as in the lovers' sheets and shrouds.

The first rehearsals I observed what skills and interpretations the actors bought to the play. I inherited these fine actors as an established ensemble group. Being the stranger among them, I explained I needed their trust to guide them through a maze of experiences to arrive at what my understanding of the play's needs.