Previews: ROMEO VS. JULIET: GRUDGE MATCH at Encore Theatre And Gallery

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Forget “sit back and relax” theater. Grab your loyal kinsmen and prepare to quarrel.

Opening July 17th, presented by Birmingham Festival Theatre at Encore, director and playwright Robert Fuson charges the stage with Romeo vs. Juliet: Grudge Match. Fuson describes the production as an immersive experiment that feels more like a sporting event than a traditional drama.

The stage is your stadium. In this interactive clash, your voice dictates the destiny of Verona. Divide into rival houses, then rally, roar, and cheer your champions to victory like it’s Sunday football. 

Fuson breaks the mold with a “choose-your-own-adventure” format featuring 16 unique story tracks. Your raw energy and real-time decisions shape the flow—meaning no two shows are alike. I got the chance to sit down with Fuson and discuss the creative inspiration behind the show, born of their MFA thesis at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. They refer to it as a “spectacle of uncertainty” where anything can happen. 

During our conversation, Fuson gave credit to costume designer Laura DeRocher for bringing their vision to life with a striking visual punch. DeRocher pulled inspiration from both Shakespearean texts and early WWE for a bold aesthetic. The result is a visual knockout that sets the stage for total chaos. 

That artistic collaboration comes naturally. Fuson and DeRocher are deeply rooted in the community as local talents. Shaping the next generation of Birmingham creatives by day, Fuson teaches theater, and DeRocher teaches art at a local charter school.

But a creative wardrobe isn’t the only thing keeping the audience on its toes. Once the armor is on, the safety nets come down. Fuson praised a group of quick-witted improvisers for their ability to flow with a script that is unscripted. In an era of algorithms, a hardworking cast proves that nothing beats raw, unfiltered, human talent.

Yet beneath all the wrestling-style hype and competitive chaos lies a powerful underlying message. Through their production, Fuson reminds us that artificial rivalries often hide a deeper truth: the real “enemy” isn’t the person sitting across the room from you. By the time the curtain falls, the divided crowd may question the very feud they cheered for. 

Don't miss out on the action. Running July 17-19, presented by Birmingham Festival Theatre at Encore, grab your early tickets to this full-throttle event.

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