A cast of more than 30 actors will perform in Kent’s Theatre Battery’s production of “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” at the Kent Station shopping center.
Performances will be on Friday, Saturday and Sunday Aug. 30 to Sept. 15. The Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m. and the Sunday shows at 3 p.m. All shows are in a vacant space converted to a theater setup next to Gentle Dental at Kent Station, 444 Ramsay Way. Preview performances are Aug. 30 and 31 with the official opening Sept. 1.
All shows are free. Tickets for each performance can be reserved online through theatrebattery.strangertickets.com. Additional seats will be released at the door prior to each performance, according to an Aug. 14 Theatre Battery press release.
The cast will include adult professionals, local high school students and community members.
“Starting from the goal of bringing generations and communities together in Kent, this will be Theatre Battery’s largest cast work and first production of a classical play,” according to the press release about the company’s 13th year.
The storyline is imagine being in a family that you would kill to protect. Everyone in town is after your money, and some of them want your blood. One night, your teenage son is out too late. You pray that your enemies haven’t found him, but the reality is worse: he has already been struck down… by Cupid.
This production features live music, swordplay and stage combat, blood effects and light audience interaction, according to the press release. Audiences should be aware that the story of Romeo and Juliet includes violence, murder, domestic abuse, teenage self-harm and suicide and references to sexuality.
The artistic team and cast include professional artists and frequent Theatre Battery collaborators, students from the Kent School District, artists from the Kent Senior Center drama club, local musicians and community members, according to the press release. Real teenagers are portraying the leading roles of Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, Mercutio, and others, with professional actors from the Seattle area joining the cast in the principal adult roles.
The company will perform in an original transformed theater space donated through sponsorship from Kent Station. The air-conditioned space has padded seating.
All admissions will be given to the public at no cost through Radical Hospitality, a term coined for use in theatre by the Mixed Blood Theatre Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota, according to the press release. The term applies to the entire run of the show in Kent. By removing the ticket price entirely, Theatre Battery aims to reduce barriers to arts participation within the underserved community of South King County.
Theatre Battery’s finances are drawn entirely from grants and individual donors, most of which are given anonymously following performances.
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