HE ROMEO AND JULIET SENIOR CITIZENS PROJECT Set for The Colony Theatre's Scripts & Sips Series
Director Michael Donovan helms Jami Brandli's comedy about seniors staging an abridged Shakespeare production.
The Colony Theatre in Burbank has announced the third installment of its Scripts & Sips playreading series, The Romeo and Juliet Senior Citizens Project — A Comedy by Jami Brandli, Story by Jami Brandli, Ann Hearn Tobolowsky, and Nina Sallinen (and William Shakespeare, too), directed by 10-time Artios Award-winner Michael Donovan, who also directed the 2024 and 2025 Scripts & Sips readings and The Colony's smash hit musicals The Wedding Singer and Catch Me If You Can (currently running through October 18). Scripts & Sips is a casual, fun, immersive afternoon, giving audience members a taste of the creative process of bringing new work to life. Enjoy themed cocktails and mocktails, complimentary light bites, and a post-show panel discussion with the writer, director, and cast.
The play: Lucas, a recent Yale MFA graduate, is hired to direct an abridged production of Romeo and Juliet for a local senior citizens retirement facility. Hilarious complications arise among the elder actors during rehearsals as an unexpected romance re-blossoms between Rich and Rose, the two star-crossed lovers/residents at the facility. As this comedy about second chances unfolds, we watch both Lucas and his cast of headstrong seniors wrestle with Shakespeare and real-life drama. Will they be able to come together as a team and pull off opening night? The odds are against them, but the play must go on … no matter what. Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA, and Richie Ferris, CSA.
Colony Theatre Producing Artistic Director Heather Provost said, 'This play immediately stood out to me because it gives older actors the opportunity to be at the center of the story—to be funny, complicated, romantic, messy, and completely dynamic. There simply aren't enough great roles written for actors in this age bracket, and on top of that, this play is genuinely hilarious. Scripts & Sips, as well as our TCT Writers Lab, are about giving writers a home to develop new work and hear it come to life. Scripts & Sips, specifically, gives audiences the unique experience of discovering a new play and being part of its journey from the very beginning. At The Colony, we strive each day to create a joyful environment where artists and audiences come together—and where exciting new stories can grow.”
Jami Brandli is the winner of the Jane Chambers Award and Stanley Drama Award. Her plays include The Magician's Sister, O: A Rhapsody in Divorce, The Caregiver's Guide, Visiting Hours, and BLISS (or Emily Post is Dead!) — named on The Kilroys List and a LA Times Critics' Choice. Her work has been produced/developed at New Dramatists, New York Theatre Workshop, Kitchen Dog Theater, Center Theatre Group, and Moxie Theatre, among others. Additional awards include 2022 Center Theatre Group Writers Group, John Gassner Memorial Playwriting Award, Humanitas Prize PLAY LA. She was a finalist for the PEN Literary Award for Drama, the O'Neill and Ojai Playwrights Conference. Short works published with TCG, Dramatic Publishing Company, Applause Books, and Smith & Kraus. She is a member of The Playwrights Union, The Dramatists Guild, TCT Writers Lab, and The Independent Writers' Caucus where she is also developing film and TV projects.
Said Brandli, “I am thrilled and honored to join The Colony's Writers Lab and to be the 2026 Scripts & Sips winner. It's a true gift to develop work in a safe, supportive environment alongside so many talented playwrights and actors. I also can't wait to work with The Colony on The Romeo and Juliet Senior Citizens Project—A Comedy. My goal with this play is simply to make people laugh and lean into the joy of theatre and life, no matter how old they are or feel.”
Michael Donovan is a casting director, producer, director, and teacher. He has cast over 1,200 theatre productions (including shows at The Colony) and is the recipient of 10 Artios Awards, presented by the Casting Society of America for Outstanding Achievement in Casting. He has directed many productions, readings, and showcases. He is also President of the Board of the Foundation for New American Musicals.
Admission prices range from $13.00–$23.00 and tickets are available online at https://www.colonytheatre.org/scriptsandsips. Scripts & Sips is supported in part by a Community Arts Grant from the City of Burbank. The Colony Theatre is located at 555 N. Third Street in Burbank, 91502. Free parking is available.
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