GBC Theatre School wraps year with Romeo & Juliet.

Take in a classic tragedy before the school year ends.

The Theatre School at George Brown College (GBC) is closing out its season of plays for the year, with two classic plays: Romeo & Juliet (April. 9 to 19) and Ivona, Princess of Burgundy (April. 8 to 19).

The Shakespearean of the two choices is a classic story about love, family conflict, and fate is brought to life by graduating students who add their own voices and ideas to the show. The play runs until April 19 and is a highlight of the school’s repertory season.

Romeo and Juliet, written in the 1590s, tells the story of two young lovers from families who hate each other. Set in Verona, Italy, the play explores powerful themes such as love, hate, family pressure, and social divides, which still matters today.

Director Julia Nish-Lapidus says that working with student actors makes this production feel personal.

“I love helping them find their voice and how they bring their identity to classical theatre,” she explained. “This was a great chance to work with an amazing group of young actors just before they graduate.”

To reflect the strength of this cast, several characters were changed from male to female.

“There are so many strong female-identified actors, and classic theatre is often written with mostly male roles,” she said. “So, we changed some characters, including Friar Lawrence, who is now ‘Sister Lawrence.’ This version gave us a Romeo surrounded by women, which was fun to explore.”

Nish-Lapidus encouraged the actors to shape their characters in their own way.

“What excites me is seeing their versions of the roles. These characters are well-known, but our students have made them their own.”

For Morgan Roy, who plays Juliet, the emotional intensity of the role was the biggest challenge.

“The hardest part was finding the emotional highs of Juliet,” she said. “The stakes are so high, especially in the second half. I had to stay grounded but also reach these intense emotional moments that are not easy to get to. It’s not every day that you meet someone, fall in love, and two days later you’re ready to die for them. That’s what makes this such a powerful role. Even though it’s dramatic, it still feels very human.”

Roy, who describes herself as a technical actor, had to find ways to connect emotionally without always relying on feelings.

“Sometimes it’s not about what I feel, but about what the audience feels. That’s what matters most.”

She also talked about the difference between working on Romeo and Juliet and the other play in the season, Ivona, Princess of Burgundy.

“They’re completely different shows. Romeo and Juliet was about finding flow and pace. We did a lot of full runs. Ivona was very technical, so we worked slowly, focusing on details.”

Despite the pressure of playing such an iconic role, Roy didn’t let that overwhelm her.

“You’re not going to do something totally new with Juliet. Everything’s been done. What makes it special is bringing yourself to the role.”

She said the team created a space where actors could explore freely.

“Our director and text coach weren’t too strict. They had strong ideas but also let us play. I got to be the Juliet I wanted to be.”

Reflecting on the show’s message, Roy said it still speaks to today.

“It’s about love overcoming hate. It’s about young people having something to say. That’s really powerful, especially for us, as young actors.”

Alongside Romeo and Juliet, the same group of students is also performing Ivona, Princess of Burgundy, a dark comedy by Witold Gombrowicz.

This second show runs on different days and shows off the actors’ range through humour and satire.

Tickets for both productions are available on the GBC website: https://www.georgebrown.ca/season-of-plays-2024-2025.