Alexis Allegra
Capulet's Cousin
Second Musician
Capulet Chorus

Alexis says she has a better understanding of theatre and production after learning how much work it takes to put on a play in three weeks with a group of people she didn't know. She says she feels more tolerant towards others now and listens with more respect. Alexis is going into 10th grade at Bush.

Many a morning hath he there been seen,
With tears augmenting the fresh morning dew.

(Lady Montague)

 

Molly Arkin
Friar Laurence's Assistant
Rosaline

Molly says she enjoyed being with "all these great people" at Summerstage. "I always looked forward to spending my day with them and working with Jesse." She loved the char-acter exercises, which helped her learn about her character and herself. Molly is going into 8th grade at SAAS.

If love be rough with you, be rough with love.

(Mercutio)

 

Nick Bayne
Montague

Nick has enjoyed getting the chance to "act alongside all these cool people." He feels he's improved his perseverance and learned not to apologize for harmless mistakes. Nick is going into 10th grade at Northwest.

When I have fought with the men,
I will be cruel with the maids, and cut off their heads.

(Sampson)

  

Leah Bromet
Lead Chorus (Capulets)

"It feels incredible to be part of something where everyone is so loving," says Leah. What she likes best at Summer-stage is communicating with everyone in so many ways. She's also learned to trust people and accept mistakes or failures and now feels like anything is possible. Leah is going into 10th grade at SAAS.

Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.

(Prince)

 

Grace Cornell
Prince
Stage Manager

Grace learned a lot about stage managing and about how much she enjoys responsibility and helping. She says, "I really learned to think about myself as part of the whole picture and to consider what I could do to make a concrete difference in the show." She feels blessed to be working with this group and believes the openness, honesty and trust they share differentiates Summerstage from other programs. Grace is going into 10th grade at Bush.

My bounty is as boundless as the sea
The more I give to thee, the more I have
My love, goodnight.

(Romeo and Juliet)

 

Dan Fajans
Capulet

Dan's best experience was "putting on a musical of Romeo and Juliet in three weeks with a group of people who never doubted that we could do it." He learned about new ways to use his voice and found that he didn't have to limit himself to such a small range. About acting he says, "I enjoyed getting really angry as my character." Dan is going into 11th grade at SAAS.

What ho, apothecary!

(Romeo)

 

Kirsten Geier
Choreographer

Kirsten's best experience was teaching the first section of movement to the chorus. "Everyone got completely psyched and couldn't wait to show our work to the rest of the group.The kids were always quick to show their enthusiasm, and that just made me want to work harder than ever." She says working with 25 kids and a couple of good friends in a highly creative environment is a blessing she hopes to cultivate the rest of her life. Kirsten has been dancing since she was 9.

Blister'd be thy tongue for such a wish!
Romeo was not born to shame.
Upon his brow shame is ashamed to sit;
O, what a beast I was to chide at him!

(Juliet)

 

Sarah Goldblatt
Nurse

Sarah greatly values the sharing of emotions between the cast and director and the "thrill of trust I feel for everyone during the actual performances." She feels that making friendships is really the highlight of her Summerstage experience. She also says, "My tolerance for the often tedious and none too brief processes of theatre increases with each show I do." Sarah is a freshman in the UW's Early Entrance Program.

Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of Heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night.

(Juliet)

 

Eliana Hechter
Benvolio

One of Eliana's best experiences was a rehearsal of the song Shame Come to Romeo because "there was something that amazed me about the purity and energy of our sound." Eliana feels she brought her acting to a new level through character analysis and analyzing her lines more thoroughly. She says, "Before, I have been cast in roles that came to me more naturally&emdash;this part presented an inviting challenge." Eliana is going into 8th grade at SCDS.

How art thou out of breath,when thou hast breath
To say to me that thou art out of breath?

(Juliet)

 

Ashley Hoover
Mercutio

Ashley's best experience was running through the show the first time. "In the opening song, everyone was in place and in character. We had most of the set done, and it gave me goose bumps to see what it was really like&emdash;it was so amazingly cool." Ashley thinks Summerstage has made her an overall better person, as well as a healthier eater and a much better fencer! She also loves the strong bonds between all the participants. Ashley is going into 9th grade at SAAS.

Come death and welcome, Juliet wills it so.

(Romeo)

 

Jesse. P. Howard
Director

Jesse was delighted watching the cast "experience exponential relief as they realized they could be exactly who they are in this group." He succeeded in minimizing his stress level, too: "I was able to see something very difficult and realize, 'OK, I've done this enough to know that this always happens, so I'm going to stay relaxed.'" He especially loved everything about the music&emdash;"writing it for 5 months, refining it, recording it, teaching it and, most of all, finally hearing the kids sing it after hearing it in my head for so long."

I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far
As that vast shore washed with the farthest sea,
I would adventure for such merchandise.

(Romeo)

 

Winslow Johnson
Tybalt
Third Watchman

Winslow says he really loved the fight choreography. He credits Quinn Thomsen for being "a great instructor and creating some awesome fight scenes." Winslow feels Summerstage has given him more confidence in his ability to sing, and taught him to be less hard on himself and learn more from his mistakes. Winslow is going into 10th grade at Bush.

Tybalt would kill thee, but now he's dead.

(Friar Laurence)

 

Marissa Joy Kurtz
Third Musician
Capulet Chorus

What Marissa liked best at Summerstage was making new friends. She also looked forward to the daily Linklater exercises. She's glad she learned techniques to improve her voice and her acting, and says, "Watching some of the scenes made me feel so proud to know these people." Marissa is going into 8th grade at SAAS.

Ay, the heads of the maids or the maidenheads,
Take it in whatever sense thou wilt.

(Sampson)

 

Alexis Lainoff
Juliet

Alexis considers Summerstage the "freest place to laugh!" She says, "For me it is a sigh of relief to stand up in front of a big crowd of people and make a fool of myself." Her biggest acting challenge was playing a character who changed a lot during the play. She also feels she's improved her endurance for working "and using every spare minute to memorize." Alexis is going into 10th grade at SAAS.

Can heaven be so envious?

(Juliet)

 

Julia Masnik
Montague Chorus
Apothecary

Julia says Summerstage has helped her improve her ability to get things done well and when they're due. She also has learned "how to be off by myself without supervision and still get a lot of work done." She especially enjoyed "circle time" devoted specifically to thanking other people. Julia is going into 9th grade at SAAS.

It was the lark, the herald of the morn,
I must be gone and live, or stay and die.

(Romeo)

 

Meagan Mays
First Musician
Capulet Chorus

Meagan especially liked doing the costumes. She says, "I love knowing that I am contributing to making the actors look good." She finds she can sing much louder than she used to and has increased her range. She also learned that "you should always try your hardest to better the show." Meagan is going into 9th grade at Roosevelt.

You kiss by the book.

(Juliet)

 

Kelly McDonald
Lead Chorus (Montagues)

Kelly says, "I have learned that the saying, "There are no small parts, only small actors" is absolutely true. I really embraced my role, and I am totally satisfied with it." Her best experience was the first time she sang a difficult harmony correctly because it gave her a lot of self-confidence. She also really enjoyed getting to know people through lunchtime conversations "about everything from gun control to baseball." Kelly is going into 10th grade at SAAS.

That I must love a loathed enemy.

(Juliet)

 

Nate Mladenovic
Gregory
First Watchman

Nate says he improved his ability to memorize lines with a different kind of speech and "developed a better sense of the Shakespearean language." He said he enjoyed blocking on-stage and also being off-stage working or just talking with others. Nate is going into 9th grade at SAAS.

My naked weapon is out.

(Sampson)

 

Alice Moore
Lady Capulet

Alice's favorite activity at Summerstage was "running scenes and putting emotion into them." One of her best experiences was "the huge adrenalin rush" of doing Tybalt and Mercutio's death scene all the way through the first time. She says being one of the set designers taught her how important the technical aspects of a show are, too, and she's also learned to sing more assertively and not to be afraid of being wrong. Alice is going into 10th grade at Bush.

O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!

(Romeo)

 

Ian Mouritsen
Romeo

Ian enjoyed fencing with Quinn, who "adds a great sense of humor to hacking and slashing." He also had a great time working with Winslow, who, he says, in real life could beat him up 15 times over. Ian says he has improved his high notes and has found it interesting to see a community form in such a short time. "People who have never seen each other before have become friends in the space of a couple of hours." Ian is going into 11th grade at SAAS.

It's all clay

(Jesse P. Howard)

 

Jill Muscatel
Potpan
Capulet Chorus
Paris' Page

Jill especially enjoyed choosing the props and blocking the scene in which she bumps into Nate, who is carrying a pile of dishes. She says Summerstage has helped her become more open-minded and trusting in people, and taught her that small parts can be very rewarding. Jill is going into 9th grade at SAAS.

Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of Heaven so fine
That all theworld will be in love with night.

(Juliet)

 

Paige Pauli
First Citizen
Montague Chorus

Paige says she learned "how important it is to differentiate your character from yourself and other characters." She also learned a lot about harmonies and has really enjoyed singing, dancing, and Jesse's stories in the morning&emdash;as well as getting to know new friends and becoming "really close to everyone in just these past few weeks." Paige is going into 9th grade at Ballard S.A.A.S.!

O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!
Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?
Beautiful tyrant! Fiend angelical!
Despised substance of divinest show!

(Juliet)

 

Sam Russell
Sampson
Second Watchman 

Sam says, "A great experience is just spending time with these great people." His favorite activities at Summerstage were acting and hanging out with his friends. He feels he's really gained some self-confidence and learned that "a little belief in yourself and others goes a long way." Sam is going into 8th grade at Lakeside.

For 'tis known that I am a pretty piece of flesh.

(Sampson)

 

Brittany Stallings
Lady Montague
Montague Chorus

Brittany says, "I just love to be a part of something so great, and to say 'I'm in Romeo and Juliet'!" She learned to release herself into whatever activity was going on, whether it was acting, relaxing, character work, or vocal exercises. She also loved painting the set the second Saturday, "getting soaked in the rain and soaked in paint." Brittany is going into 9th grade at SAAS.

Men's eyes were made to look, let them gaze.

(Mercutio)

 

Laurel Stewart
Balthasar

Laurel's best experience was the first rehearsal of Plague on Both Houses, which is a full scene. "I had shivers all up my spine," she says. "It was amazing how powerful it was even though we had never practiced it before." She enjoyed learning about fencing, too, and that it "really isn't that rough." Laurel also loved several powerful songs in which 3 or 4 melodies are brought together with none of them being dominant. Laurel is going into 8th grade at SCDS.

Ah, what an unkind hour is guilty of this lamentable chance.

(Friar Laurence)

 

Robin Stewart
Friar Laurence

Robin says one of his best experiences was "coming in the first day to all those kind, loving faces and excitement." The best times for him were when everyone was together and having fun. He also enjoyed the singing, and loved teaching and doing Linklater exercises in the morning -- "especially when people came up to me afterward and said they felt relaxed and energized." Robin is going into 11th grade at Lakeside.

Holy Saint Francis!

(Friar Laurence)

 

Keenan Sullivan
Paris

Keenan's best experience was being backstage with people he didn't know very well and then becoming friends with them. Because of this his self-confidence really grew. "I've learned to have more faith in the people around me," he says. Keenan is going into 9th grade at SAAS.

Tybalt would kill thee, but now he's dead.

(Friar Laurence)

 

Quinn Thomsen
Fight choreographer

Quinn especially liked working closely with a small and focused group on very "sharp" details. "Putting together the brawl for the beginning of the play was very difficult&emdash;almost overwhelming," he said, "but the perseverance of my fighting actors made it a really good scene." He also enjoyed "brawling with old friends and getting to know new friends for future brawls." Quinn teaches Math at SCDS and has combined drama and fencing since high school.

I will bite thee by the ear for that jest.

(Mercutio)