Abitter family feud, unrequited young love and suicide–not reality TV, but the classic story of Romeo and Juliet. The local Hampshire Shakespeare Company's Shakespeare Under the Stars 2008 summer season kicks off with a production of this enduring, popular play. Under the direction of Bob Laviolette, young and seasoned actors alike aspire to breathe new life into Shakespeare's oft-quoted monologues and long-mimicked themes.
The familiar tragedy follows the Montagues, the Capulets and a well-known "pair of star cross'd lovers" as a long-standing grudge between the families forces Romeo and Juliet to resort to desperate measures. So trade in your television for the Hartsbrook School's picturesque outdoor theater this weekend.
June 27-July 13, Wednesday-Sunday, 7:30 p.m., $5-$16, The Hartsbrook School, 193 Bay Rd., Hadley, (413) 788-4750, www.hampshireshakespeare.org.
