Speak again, bright angel!                             -Romeo (II.ii)

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Trivia with prizes!
Shakespeare!
Valentine's Cards!
Valentine's Treats!

Join us on Friday, Feb. 14 at Longbranch Cafe & Bakery as we explore Romeo and Juliet with fresh eyes, fresh ears, and fresh hearts. The "two hours traffic of our stage" will include iconic adorations, a bit of trivia and a lot of love. We'll bring the star-crossed lovers, you bring the love, and we'll all explore the Bard together.

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director's notes
Romeo and Juliet is as iconic as it comes in the Shakespearean cannon. It is taught to 9th graders everywhere, it has been referenced in nearly every sitcom that ran for more than one season, it has spurred films and operas and musical adaptations, and it is considered to not have a happy ending. And it doesn't, there is no avoiding that. It is troubling and tempestuous and fickle and it is not a love story to be emulated - it is unhealthy - but the end...is more hope-filled than the lovers' deaths suggest. While it is impossible to gloss over the many deaths, and easy to use an adult gaze to view the lovers impetuosity as being ridiculous, my hope is that the fresh eyes we bring to this tale will allow us all to see each characters' story as sincere, the fresh ears we bring to hear the truth in their tales and the fresh hearts to see the hope of compassion and healing the final moments bring. Of course the humor is also alive in this tale and the sheer joy is too obvious not to make me giggle with delight, and I hope that all of us are able to indulge in those moments as well.

Longbranch
Cafe & Bakery
Friday, Feb. 14, 6:00 PM
100 E Jackson St.
Carbondale, IL

The TALENT

Ensemble: Sydney Ambos, Hasanah Brown, Tariq Brown, Caleb Bondzi, Laura Borger, Kim Curlee, Bert Dodson, Sarah Dubach, Susan Harrocks-McLernon, Tahira King, Rita Medina,  Antonio Salazar, Michael Sigillito, and Gregory Wendt

directed by Julia Stemper

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