English teachers for generations have been looking for ways to make William Shakespeare relevant to their present day.
Kaylee Smith of Back Alley Productions believes she may have hit on a way to do so on the stage.
“Romeo and Juliet,” Shakespeare’s tale of young love and tragedy, will be offered by the production company in the art form of steampunk for five shows beginning Friday, Aug. 23.
“We can get a broad range of people,” Smith says. “Older people recognize the story. Younger people recognize the art style. We’re bringing the old and new together. Hopefully, we’ll intrigue younger people not familiar with the story.”
The art form of steampunk is displayed in the production’s late 19th-century set design. Its focal centerpiece, Juliet’s balcony, is a giant, center-stage clock tower. The set also incorporates items such as gears, chains, piping and other things that “seem otherworldly.”