Estonian theater Kinoteater recently staged Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” in a production with Romeo played by a rally truck and his secret love Juliet by a red Ford pickup truck. The climactic duel between Tybalt and Mercutio consisted of two excavators swinging their metal buckets in front of each other. The performance was staged in a limestone quarry. “Romula ja Julia” had virtually no lines, as there were no human actors, just ten drivers, two mechanics, a pyrotechnics expert, an excavator operator, and many vehicles to convey the classic love story. Among the Shakespearean were a front-end loader, a concrete mixer, a fire truck, city buses, other large machinery, and some smaller vehicles.
Co-director Paavo Piik explained that the contrast between the powerful vehicles and the themes of love and poetry is central to the production’s experimental approach. “I would still say that even though it was cars, it felt really sweet and cute. Like when you had the scene where the cars were, you would assume, kissing, the energy was captured really well. The sweetness and the love,” one spectator told Reuters.
Right. No lines, and a bunch of machines “kissing.” By what theory could such a spectacle be legitimately called “Shakespeare,” much less “Romeo and Juliet”? They might just as well have called a demolition derby “The Illiad.”
Ethics Alarms always takes the position that the acid test of any non-traditional theatrical concept or casting is 1) whether the creator’s message and vision is being fairly respected, and 2) whether the production “works” beyond the novelty factor.
Let’s just say that I’m highly dubious about this production.
(Curmie, Curmie! Wherefore art thou, Curmie?)
Ethics Alarms 
Sounds like the “Thomas the Tank Engine” videos my kids watched when they were little — although at least the train engines all had human-like faces in those videos!
If we want live drama to soak into every aspect of culture we should expect everything between high brow and low bar to be generated. This sound like people having a blast of fun. I imagine it morphing into a multi day event with tailgating and camping, a well behaved Burning man festival. Just imagin sitting in the edge of a quarry, sipping a cold beverage, enjoying a good burger with Doritos and watching “Romeo and Juliet” followed by “The Illiad”. It’s like a drive-in movie twofer.
Outdoor theater, ugh. While stationed in Italy I was looking forward to attend the famed production of Aida in the Arena of Verona. (BTW- that is where Julietts House is purported to be for tourists).
Anyway, the production was famous for its use of live animals (tigers and bears and dromedarys) in the Triumphal March. However, that year, unbeknownst to the paying audience, the art director decided to go avant-garde, subsititung the menagerie with LEGO creatures.
What ensued was din of boos, a rush to leave the Arena, and days of conversations in the cafes. I assumed director escaped safely since no body was found. But what do I know!!
“Drebin, I don’t want anymore trouble like you had last year on the South Side. Understand? That’s my policy.”
“Yes. Well, when I see 5 weirdos dressed in togas stabbing a guy in the middle of the park in full view of 100 people, I shoot the bastards. That’s *my* policy.”
“That was a Shakespeare-In-The-Park production of “Julius Caesar”, you moron! You killed 5 actors! Good ones.”
At least truck Juliet is less of a cardboard cut out actress than some recent portrayals of Juliet…
Some interesting logistics would be needed to take that show on the road…. and the carbon footprint! Oh my!
They might just as well have called a demolition derby “The Iliad.”
A “demolition derby” comes refreshingly close to describing “The Iliad.”
Indeed!
Please PLEASE PLEASE tell me that the rally truck being used to represent Romeo was some model of Chevrolet in contrast to Juliet’s red Ford pickup.
THAT would indeed be in keeping with the theme and tone of Shakespeare’s most famous play.
–Dwayne
if I were tasked with directing this version, I would:
have Fords and Chevys
lines would be read by the drivers with speakers mounted on the roof
vehicle lights would be on when a character is speaking
-Jut
What are the preferred pronouns of the actors involved?
If the “actors” are the trucks and construction equipment themselves, then “it” and “its” would be appropriate. (I’ve heard of boats/ships and possibly aircraft being given feminine pronouns, but not trucks or construction equipment.)