SETTING THE STAGE. SHS’ first spring musical, R+J, debuted on Friday, April 9 in the back fields of Blue Ash Elementary. A modern spin on WIlliam Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” this rendition featured snippets of dialogue from the original play mixed with 21st century language, making it a perfect blend for audience members who preferred the original and young high schoolers who preferred more understandable language. The lighting crew utilized a different color on each side to represent the Capulets and Montagues: blue for Juleit’s family, and red for Romeo’s.

TECH CREW. The sound crew was hard at work to ensure all of the correct tracks were queued up and the speakers were fully functional after the slight drizzle they had experienced just minutes before the show was set to begin. “The best part about being a part of sound for R+J would be the reward after all the rehearsals to be able to put on an amazing show for the audience!”

ROSALINE. Playing the pre-Juliet, junior Kelly Donovan assumed the role of Rosaline, a character with a loud personality and high self esteem. In her song, she preached of her worth, and how no man in the kingdom deserved a girl such as herself. Donovan was actually dancing on an injured foot, and while her director had told her not to do some of the choreography due to the slippery stage, she sacrificed for the craft, and did several twirls on the freshly-rained-on surface with her boot sliding along behind her. “Every single day in class brings something special and hilarious. There is never a day in that class I go without wheezing and laughing out loud. Every cast member supports one another and hypes each other up when we do something well, or even if we’re having a bad day. They are my family, and I love each and every single one of them” Donavan said.

NURSE. The mediator between the distressed couple, junior Annamarie Jowanovitz took on this iconic role with class and humor. R+J was Jowanovitz’s 9th production with Aves theatre. “Even though the rain caused us to postpone the show by about a half hour, the audience truly persevered and I think that’s honestly what kept us going. Since we had this many people there to support us, we decided to put on the best show we could. We even got to do all of our pre show rituals, and that got us all in the game, too,” Jowanovitz said.

SOCIAL DISTANCING. The viewing area was set up in rectangles for each viewing party to allow for social distancing. Masks were optional in your respective rectangle but required outside and at the concessions stand. Although, due to the impending rain, the director chose to forgo intermission on opening night to finish the show in a dry state. So, no concessions were sold.

LEADING LADY. Her second leading role in her SHS theatre career, junior Payton Hines played the quirky and romantic Juliet, her friendship with Romeo actor Jake Jervis coming in handy as they told a tale of love, woe, and unexpected happiness. Hines has expressed her sadness about how the arts have been severely disadvantaged during the pandemic, but is thrilled to be back on stage. “We are all just so extremely excited to be performing again with the energy of the audience, the lights, and the physical community for being together. While this year looks different and we have faced a new set of challenges, we are just so grateful to be back doing what we love,” Hines said.

MASKS. When not delivering any specific lines, members of the cast donned blue or red masks to keep the show as safe as possible. The ensemble, specifically, kept masks on for a majority of the show, especially when performing dance numbers with many people on stage. They would later take them off backstage if they had to speak in the next scene.

DO-OVER. With his 2020 spring musical cancelled, Jervis was excited to take up a leading role for one of his final performances with Aves Theatre. Last year, he had spent months preparing to play the lead role of Jack from Disney’s “Newsies,” and was heartbroken when all of that preparation went to waste. However, in his 14th production, Jervis has taken up the lead once again, and delivered a stunning performance as the classy, comical, and charming Romeo.