The North Carolina Black Repertory Company presents “Shakespeare at Sunset” this weekend with a twist: Romeo and Juliet in English and Spanish.
Romeo y Julieta Limeño is the bilingual adaptation of The Bard's immortal romantic tragedy. Limeño refers to Lima, Peru, the hometown of actor/director Matías De La Flor who graduated from the UNC School of the Arts in May. In his staged reading, De La Flor fuses Shakespeare's Old English with the poetry of Chilean political activist Pablo Neruda, and the contemporary voice of De La Flor himself.
His interest is exploring the area between physicality and spoken word. He notes the growing Latino population in the Triad and says finding a bridge between the two worlds allows him and his actors to take audiences on a unique journey.
"My goal here is specifically for the Latin community to have a voice," says De La Flor. "We talk about representation in the arts. We talk about inclusivity and diversity, and I was like, well, what can I do? If I'm making theatre, and I'm Latin, and I'm an immigrant, and there's people like me here, why don't I start here? I can't start somewhere in the future."
Romeo y Julieta Limeño begins at Bailey Park Saturday night at 7 p.m. There will be Latin food trucks including Peruvian cuisine available during the performance with music and dancing to follow.