R & J & Z to Run 4/1-18 at the New Ohio Theatre

What if two of literature's most famous lovers got a second chance? R & J & Z starts with Act V of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and continues on, as the young couple navigates a world in which death isn't necessarily the end. Written in verse and set against the historical backdrop of Verona's plague, R & J & Z (the "z" stands for zombies), throws old and new characters together over the course of an apocalyptic and action-packed 24 hours. Equally inspired by Shakespeare and contemporary zombie films, R & J & Z pushes the boundaries of theatrical humor and horror. When everyone is dead and rising from the graves, the rules no longer apply.

"At the time Shakespeare wrote Romeo & Juliet, most theatres were closed due to plague," says J.Stephen Brantley, artistic director of Hard Sparks. "If you look at the play from that angle-that a huge part of the population was dead or dying-it takes on a different tone."

R & J & Z is a classically structured Shakespearean comedy. Director Joan Jubett says, "Romeo And Juliet begins as a comedy and ends as a tragedy, but R & J & Z begins as a tragedy and ends as a comedy." Playwright Melody Bates, who also plays Juliet, notes that Shakespeare gave us the supernatural horror of Macbeth, the gore of Titus, the magic of Midsummer; the pathos of Hamlet and the slapstick of Bottom-and he imbued all works with the same marvelous humanity. "I relished the chance to bring back the dead of Romeo and Juliet, and I tried to do so with Shakespearean humanism and cinematic gusto," says Bates. Part love story, part action-adventure, R & J & Z asks what happens when society's shackles fall away and we're forced to confront our own immortality.

R & J & Z was originally developed by Opera House Arts in Stonington, Maine in the summer of 2014 where it played to sold-out houses and and was performed in rep with Romeo and Juliet.

R & J & Z features Melody Bates* (New York Innovative Theatre Award winner), Elizabeth Bell*, David Bennett, J.Stephen Brantley* (Indie Theatre Hall of Fame), Drae Campbell, Margi Sharp Douglas, August Geraci, Randy Howk, Matt Hurley*(AMC's Hell on Wheels), Warren Jackson*, Per Janson*, Caitlin Johnston* (HBO's The Knick), Blaze Mancillas*, Rachel Murdy*, Clara Sanchez-Vela, Marshall Spann*, Russell Sperberg, Chris Tramantana* and Michele Quintero Williams; produced by Hard Sparks; written by Melody Bates; directed by Joan Jubett; Abbey Bay (production management); Samantha Stambuck (stage management); Kaila Hill (assistant stage management); Tom Lee (scenic design); Kate R. Mincer (costumes); Barbara Samuels (lights); Mark Van Hare (sound); Stephanie Cox-Williams (gore FX); Dan Renkin (fight choreography).

Performance Schedule:
Wednesday, April 1 @ 8 - preview
Tuesday, April 2 @ 8 - preview
Saturday, April 4 @ 8 - press performance
Sunday, April 5 @ 8 - press performance
Monday, April 6 @ 8 - press performance
Wednesday, April 8 @ 8
Thursday, April 9 @ 8
Friday, April 10 @ 8
Saturday, April 11 @ 8
Saturday, April 12 @ 8
Tuesday, April 15 @ 8
Wednesday, April 16 @ 8
Thursday, April 17 @ 8
Friday, April 18 @ 8