Private Romeo

Last updated
Private Romeo
Private-romeo-film-by-alan-brown.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Alan Brown
Screenplay by Alan Brown
Based on Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare
Produced byAgathe David-Weill, Kevin Ginty and Alan Brown (producers)
Alli Maxwell (co-producer)
Matt Janes, Glen Trotiner (associate producers)
Starring Seth Numrich
Matt Doyle
CinematographyDerek McKane
Music byNicholas Wright
Release date
  • June 20, 2011 (2011-06-20)(Frameline)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Private Romeo is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet by Alan Brown made in 2011. The film is a reenactment of the play exclusively spoken in an all-male high school military academy called McKinley Military Academy. Amidst this recitation is a love blossoming between the two cadets, Sam Singleton / Romeo played by Seth Numrich and Glenn Mangan / Juliet played by Matt Doyle. The film was Brown's take on Don't ask, don't tell, the official United States policy on gays in the military from December 21, 1993, to September 20, 2011 (the law was repealed after the production of the film).

Contents

The scenes of the cadet school and the lessons of the play Romeo and Juliet are filmed in desaturated colors, gray, khaki, and pale, whereas the scenes depicting the actual Shakespearean scenes are shown in saturated colors.

The film project was previously known as "McKinley" [1] and as "The Shakespeare Project".

Brown was inspired to write the script after seeing Joe Calarco's play Shakespeare's R&J in 2008 wherein four senior students in blazers, discover Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and become intrigued by it while reciting excerpts, and act out key scenes from the play intermingled with their own personal realities. All four play various roles in a minimalist stage setting. [2]

Cast

The cast was made up of 8 actors playing 11 characters. Many other characters from the original play were left out.

Reception

The film was singled out by critics for being "hugely adventurous and highly liberated". [3] It was a New York Times Critics Pick. [4]

Awards

In 2011, the film won the Grand Jury Prize at Outfest, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, for "Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film." The prize was co-won by Seth Numrich, Chris Bresky, Matt Doyle, Hale Appleman, Sean Hudock, Adam Barrie, Bobby Moreno, and Charlie Barnett. The award credited the actors for "bringing fresh life to a timeless love story and infusing each moment with a 21st century immediacy that balances naked passion with longing and delivering it all with brilliant coherence". [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Romeo and Juliet</i> Tragedy by William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young Italian star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers.

<i>Romeo and Juliet</i> (1968 film) 1968 film by Franco Zeffirelli

Romeo and Juliet is a 1968 period coming-of-age romantic tragedy film based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare. Directed and co-written by Franco Zeffirelli, the film stars Leonard Whiting as Romeo and Olivia Hussey as Juliet. Laurence Olivier spoke the film's prologue and epilogue and dubs the voice of the actor Antonio Pierfederici, who played Lord Montague, but was not credited on-screen. The cast also stars Milo O'Shea, Michael York, John McEnery, Bruce Robinson, and Robert Stephens.

<i>Tromeo and Juliet</i> 1997 American film

Tromeo and Juliet is a 1997 American independent transgressive romantic black comedy film and a loose adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet from Troma Entertainment. The film was directed by Lloyd Kaufman from a screenplay by Kaufman and James Gunn, who also served as associate director.

<i>Romeo + Juliet</i> 1996 film directed by Baz Luhrmann

William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet is a 1996 romantic crime film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. It is a modernized adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in the title roles of two teenagers who fall in love, despite their being members of feuding families. Brian Dennehy, John Leguizamo, Harold Perrineau, Pete Postlethwaite, Paul Sorvino and Diane Venora also star in supporting roles. It is the third major film version of the play, following a 1936 film and a 1968 film.

<i>Romeo and Juliet</i> (1936 film) 1936 film by George Cukor

Romeo and Juliet is a 1936 American film adapted from the play by William Shakespeare, directed by George Cukor from a screenplay by Talbot Jennings. The film stars Leslie Howard as Romeo and Norma Shearer as Juliet, and the supporting cast features John Barrymore, Basil Rathbone, and Andy Devine.

Tybalt Character in Romeo and Juliet

Tybalt is a character in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. He is the son of Lady Capulet's brother, Juliet's short-tempered first cousin, and Romeo's rival. Tybalt shares the same name as the character Tibert / Tybalt "the prince of cats" in the popular story Reynard the Fox, a point of mockery in the play. Mercutio repeatedly calls Tybalt "prince of cats", in reference to his sleek, yet violent manner.

Mercutio Character in Romeo and Juliet

Mercutio is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's 1597 tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. He is a close friend to Romeo and a blood relative to Prince Escalus and Count Paris. As such, Mercutio is one of the named characters in the play with the ability to mingle around those of both houses. The invitation to Lord Capulet's party states that he has a brother named Valentine.

Juliet Character in Romeo and Juliet

Juliet Capulet is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist Romeo, a member of the House of Montague, with which the Capulets have a blood feud. The story has a long history that precedes Shakespeare himself.

Count Paris Character in Romeo and Juliet

Count Paris or County Paris is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. He is a suitor of Juliet. He is handsome, wealthy, and a kinsman to Prince Escalus.

<i>Romeo and Juliet</i> (1954 film) 1954 film by Renato Castellani

Romeo and Juliet is a 1954 British-Italian film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name. It was directed by Renato Castellani and stars Laurence Harvey as Romeo, Susan Shentall as Juliet, Flora Robson as the Nurse, Mervyn Johns as Friar Laurence, Bill Travers as Benvolio, Sebastian Cabot as Lord Capulet, Ubaldo Zollo as Mercutio, Enzo Fiermonte as Tybalt and John Gielgud as the Chorus.

Rosaline Character in Romeo and Juliet

Rosaline is a fictional character mentioned in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1597). She is the niece of Lord Capulet. Although an unseen character, her role is important: Romeo's unrequited love for Rosaline leads him to try to catch a glimpse of her at a gathering hosted by the Capulet family, during which he first spots Juliet.

<i>Romeo and Juliet</i> on screen

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet may be one of the most-screened plays of all time. The most notable theatrical releases were George Cukor's multi-Oscar-nominated 1936 production Romeo and Juliet, Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film Romeo and Juliet, and Baz Luhrmann's 1996 MTV-inspired Romeo + Juliet. The latter two were both, at the time, the highest-grossing Shakespeare films. Cukor featured the mature actors Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard as the teenage lovers while Zeffirelli populated his film with beautiful young people, and Baz Luhrmann produced a heavily cut fast-paced version aimed at teenage audiences.

Nurse (<i>Romeo and Juliet</i>) Character in Romeo and Juliet

The Nurse is a character in William Shakespeare's classic drama Romeo and Juliet. She is the personal servant, guardian of Juliet Capulet, and has been since Juliet was born. She had a daughter named Susan who died in infancy, and then became wetnurse to Juliet. As the primary person to like, she is therefore Juliet's foremost confidante. She is very important to Juliet's life.

William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet contains a relatively distinctive cast of characters. In addition to the play's eponymous protagonists, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, the play, which is set in Verona, Italy, contains roles for members of their respective families and households; Prince Escalus, the city's ruler, and his kinsman, Count Paris; and various unaffiliated characters such as Friar Laurence and the Chorus. In addition the play contains two ghost characters and an unseen character (Rosaline).

Alan Brown is an American director and author active in the twenty-first century.

Matt Doyle (actor) American actor and singer

Matthew Finnen Doyle is an American actor and singer known for his work in musical theater. He made his Broadway debut in 2007 in Spring Awakening as replacement for the role of Hanschen, and later had supporting roles in the Broadway productions of Bye Bye Birdie in 2009 and War Horse in 2011. He joined The Book of Mormon in 2012, replacing Nic Rouleau as Elder Price.

<i>Romeo & Juliet</i> (2013 film) 2013 film

Romeo & Juliet is a 2013 romantic drama film adaptation of William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy of the same name written by Julian Fellowes and directed by Carlo Carlei. The film stars Douglas Booth, Hailee Steinfeld, Damian Lewis, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ed Westwick, Stellan Skarsgård and Paul Giamatti. The film opened in the United Kingdom and the United States on 11 October 2013. Like Franco Zeffirelli's adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy, this film uses the traditional setting of Renaissance Verona, but, unlike previous major film adaptations, only follows the plot and uses only some of the dialogue as written by Shakespeare. This has led to several critics denouncing the film's advertising as misleading and losing the essence of the play. The film grossed $3 million.

<i>Romeo and Juliet</i> (1968 film soundtrack) Album by Nino Rota

The soundtrack for the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet was composed and conducted by Nino Rota. It was originally released as a vinyl record, containing nine entries, most notably the song "What Is a Youth", composed by Nino Rota, written by Eugene Walter and performed by Glen Weston. The music score won a Silver Ribbon award of the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists in 1968 and was nominated for two other awards.

Seth Numrich is an American stage, television and film actor.

<i>Romeo and Juliet</i> (2013 Broadway play) 2014 American film

Romeo and Juliet is a filmed performance of the 2013 Broadway theatrical production of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet starring Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashād which was produced as a 2014 film by BroadwayHD and Fathom Events.

References

  1. Ue, Tom (May 4, 2012). "Private Romeo: A Conversation with Alan Brown". Film International .
  2. "Joe Calarco Shakespeare's R&J after Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet". shakespeare-festival.de. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  3. Reed, Rex (2 August 2012). "Private Romeo: Every Soldier is a Lover". The Observer . Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  4. Catsoulis, Jeanette (9 February 2012). "Shirtless Cadets as Shakespeare's Ill-Fated Young Lovers". The New York Times . Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  5. "Private Romeo". wolfevideo.com. Retrieved October 7, 2020.