Cambridge University American Stage Tour (CAST)
Contact: Peter Frengel
Cambridge University American Stage Tour (CAST)
After the last couple of years of Covid-related disruption, we are incredibly excited to have CAST return to the Academy!
On September 18th, the Cambridge American Stage Tour (CAST) will be arriving at Harrisburg Academy for a day of workshops and a performance of Romeo and Juliet. Founded in 1999 under the tutelage of Dame Judy Dench, CAST travels the east coast of the United States with the aim of producing an annual Shakespearian tour with a small group of Cambridge University's most talented actors and technicians. CAST also provides the opportunity for American students and young people to participate in workshops, as a way of introducing them to Shakespeare or building on the knowledge they already have.
For those in the Harrisburg Academy community who remember the pre-COVID days, CAST arriving was a wonderful and exciting time, and now they have regrouped from the pandemic and are back! We will have a production of Romeo & Juliet in our own auditorium at 7:30 on September 19th, so mark your calendar for a memorable dramatic experience. Also, if there is anyone in the community with a spare bedroom or two, please consider hosting a pair of university students the nights of the 18th and 19th. More information to follow.
The show CAST has chosen for the 2023 tour is Romeo and Juliet. This was a conscious choice to revive the tour with one of the most iconic Shakespeare plays which touches on universal themes of love and friendship suitable for all audiences (12+). Below is a short description of our director Kitty Croft’s vision:
"This production of Romeo and Juliet takes place in a world very different to fair Verona. In a futuristic setting in the year 2123, the rival houses of Capulet and Montague fight to survive and gain control over the territory. In the midst of such chaos and bloodshed is a tender love story that fights against the odds and shows the beauty that can be found in the most unlikely places and situations. It is a play that transcends geography and culture; a story that everyone knows, and everyone can feel a part of. To fight for what you believe in, whether right or not, to die for what you believe in, and for who you believe in, is possibly one of the boldest and most intensely moving narratives ever told."
