Romeo and Juliet July 10, 2010

Inaugurating their second season, the young, classically trained and thoroughly broke ruffians of the Downtown Repertory Theater Company (Downtown Rep.), will be performing “Romeo and Juliet” in the Pico House at El Pueblo Historical Monument in downtown Los Angeles.
Founded by artistic director Devon Armstrong and comprised largely of alumni of the L.A. County High School for the Arts (Arts High), the troupe features both long-time veterans of the stage and recent graduates of acting conservatories across the country. This year’s production will be presented in the brick courtyard of the historic Pico House. Built in 1870 by Pío Pico, the last governor of California under Mexican rule, it was the first three story building and the first grand hotel in Los Angeles. Next door is the Merced Theater, the first theater in Los Angeles. With three levels of balconies, the soaring Pico House courtyard is reminiscent of the Globe Theater, where Shakespeare and his players once performed. It was the ambience of this location which prompted director Peter Wittrock to set the production in the early 1800’s, “a period of relative calm on the surface of things but with the pressures of great change growing underneath – a period not unlike Shakespeare’s own”, he said. While the conflicts between the anglo Montagues and the latin Capulets in this production underscore that change, Wittrock emphasizes the importance of ensuring that Shakespeare's classic is not overwhelmed by a forced, modern message.
“We've been lucky enough to secure a real veteran of a director in Peter”, said Armstrong, “he's the only guy I know who will argue with me about whether it was Will Kempe or Robert Armin who was the more impressive Tudor clown, or detail the reasoning behind the brief pause an actor ought to take between lines of verse”.
Robert L. Andrade, General Manager of El Pueblo Historical Monument, was very supportive of the idea to use the Pico House as a venue for the Downtown Repertory Theater Company. “The Monument encourages local artistic performances as well as cultural events. A free summer theater series for the public in a historic setting is a unique experience everyone can enjoy. I am pleased we could accommodate them,” Andrade said.
As for the company's reaction to the courtyard space, Armstrong says “the moment I walked inside my jaw dropped. The place has fascinating theatrical possibilities. My favorite part of the rehearsal process has been watching the cast enter the space for the first time and seeing their respective jaws drop too. This is going to be a very exciting building to perform in – there’s no place like it in Los Angeles.”
The Downtown Repertory Theater Company is a non profit organization. All shows are free to the public, but donations are welcome. Seating is limited; please email [email protected] to make a reservation. Those without reservations will be seated based on availability. Performances will be at 7:00 P.M. on the following dates.
July 10th
July 11th
July 16th
July 18th
July 24th
July 25th
Visit www.downtownrep.com for more information.