A series of phone calls were placed to people who were asked to tell, in their own words, the story of Romeo and Juliet. But no one seemed to exactly remember the plot. Far from recounting the identical story over and over, the participants radically re-invented Romeo and Juliet, creating scenes and characters that never existed in the original.

Using only the words of their responders (and if any of the Bard, purely accidental), Nature Theater of Oklahoma has created their own Romeo and Juliet, a wild and hilarious theatrical foray into the nature of how and why we tell stories, and the place they hold in the bizarre recesses of our hearts. This one-of-a-kind performance presents a highly personal and original series of Romeos and Juliets, pervaded with feeling and rife with thoughts about love, need, and the complex nature of self-sacrifice.

"The star-crossed story is twisted into a big, gnarly knot in this flat-out hilarious riff on that revered classic. . . . Expect to be in floods of teary laughter midway through."
Charles Isherwood, The New York Times

In short: accidental retelling, in your own words, tragedy becomes hilarious, Shakespeare's nightmare, it doesn't matter that you never paid attention in high school.

Nature Theater of Oklahoma (No Dice, Live Arts Festival, 2007) is an Obie award-winning New York based performance group that has been devoted to making the work they don’t know how to make, putting themselves in impossible situations, and working from out of their own ignorance and unease.

Conceived and Directed by Pavol Liska and Kelly Copper; based on conversations with Linda Copper, Eliotte Crowell, Anne Gridley, Teresa Gridley, Jo Liegerot, Robert M. Johanson, Zachary Oberzan, Kristin Worrall Stage Design Peter Nigrini Production ManagersKelly Shaffer and Gabel Elben Performers Anne Gridley, Robert M. Johanson, Elisabeth Conner

Post-show discussion moderated by Geoff Sobelle, Philadelphia theater artist and director of CHICKEN, following the performance on September 9.

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