PRESS RELEASE: June 25, 2015
ROMEO AND JULIET'S FEUDING FAMILIES UNITE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY
BEHIND SHAKESPEARE ORANGE COUNTY'S SEASON-OPENER
The classic love story opens July 11 with involvement of community groups
including Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association, Relámpago del Cielo
GARDEN GROVE, CA. June 25, 2015 – For its first production of Summerfest
2015, Shakespeare Orange County (SOC) applies its theme of uniting 'One Big
Family Under the Stars' to Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's romantic drama of
star-crossed lovers separated by irreconcilable families.
Romeo and Juliet will open on July 11, with a special 'Night in White' pre-show
dinner package available, and continue through August 1. Preview performances
are July 2, 3, 9 and 10. Performances are in the Garden Grove Amphitheater at
12762 Main St, Garden Grove. Free parking is available on the street and in a
nearby lot. For information visit shakespeareoc.org or call 714-636-3729.
A Historically Engaging Work
Romeo and Juliet, arguably western literature's most famous love story, was
written early in Shakespeare's career and, along with Hamlet, remains his most
frequently performed play. It has inspired art in every media, including Franco
Zefferelli's 1968 film version, which will screen at the amphitheater on June 27.
When Producing Artistic Director John Walcutt took over the 36-year-old company
in 2014, it was with a pledge to use Orange County's centrally located
amphitheater to build bridges between generations and across the more than 70
languages spoken in the community.
"Shakespeare's script shows how a community can be fragmented by hostility and
ignorance," said Walcutt, who co-directs with Associate Artistic Director Mike
Peebler. "Our production shows how a community can come together through
artistic endeavor."
Shakespeare Orange County's Romeo and Juliet, with Nikki SooHoo (The Lovely
Bones, Stick It) and Ramón de Ocampo (title roles in Antaeus' Henry IV Part One
and The Curse of Oedipus) as the lovers, is co-produced by SOC and the
Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA), with the
participation of Relámpago del Cielo, the 40-year-old folklórico group from Santa
Ana. There is additional community involvement from the Korean Social Club of
Orange County and the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA).
'The Roots of the Community'
"What we're doing is presenting Romeo and Juliet from the roots of the community
experience," he continued. "The co-presenters aren't underwriting so much as
underpinning the production with the reality of Orange County's diversity. Because
of that, the play's resonance goes much deeper."
"Two of our leading Korean language actors will perform for the first time in English
in the production," said Duck Soon Walcutt, who co-founded the Korean Social
Club of Orange County in 2014 to promote Korean involvement and exposure to
the arts in Garden Grove. "SOC has been very generous and inclusive with the
Korean community, inviting us into this beautiful theatre and making us feel
welcome. We are very proud to be involved with SOC and, in particular, with this
Romeo and Juliet experience."
"It is our pleasure to collaborate with SOC and move beyond the traditional format
in order to be more inclusive and accessible while highlighting Orange County's
diversity," said Ysa Le, Executive Director of VAALA, formed in 1991 by
Vietnamese American journalists, artists and friends to connect and enrich
communities through Vietnamese art and culture. "We look forward to the
originality, creativity and pure entertainment SOC will be presenting this season."
Enhancing the production's depth will be Relámpago del Cielo's music, particularly
in performance at the Capulet party for Juliet, which becomes her quinceañera
where the family and guests join in traditional dances.
"This creative and forward thinking, to incorporate the Mexican and Vietnamese
cultures into such a classic play is wonderful," said Relámpago del Cielo Artistic
Director Marlene Peña-Marin. "We are very excited to be part of this special
production and hope this inspires other artists to think outside the box."
A joint lobby display will add to what the Los Angeles Times anticipates can be "a
cultural town commons where the area’s diverse ethnic communities can meet."
Additional Cast and Production Information
The production team is Michael Drace Fountain (scenic design), Sean McMullen
(costume design) William and Jennifer Georges (lighting and sound design) and
Jeff Budner (fight choreography, with Casey Garritano). Jenny Brum and Cailin
Luneburg are stage managing.
The cast also includes Peter Gil Chang (Montague), Michael Drace Fountain
(Prince), Tess Lina (Lady Capulet), Dianne Manaster (Nurse), Michael Nehring
(Friar Laurence), Stefano Della Pietra (Benvolio), Young Hye Sohn (Lady
Montague), Pedro Villareal (Capulet), Jay Wallace (Tybalt), and David Warshol
(Paris). [Principle bios follow release.]
Tickets, Information, and Social Media
Romeo and Juliet runs July 11-August 1, with performances Thursday through
Saturday at 8 p.m. There will be discounted previews July 2, 3, 9 and 10. Tickets
are $15, $25 and $40, with discounts available for groups.
The July 11 opening includes "Nights in White," a special $100 package that
includes pre-show dinner and entertainment on the amphitheater lawn, with
reserved seats in the first three rows. Guests are invited to dress in white.
Thanks to generous support from Macy's, SOC is offering two "rush ticket"
programs to help make theatre affordable for everyone: On Fridays and Saturdays
beginning at 7 p.m., "7 at 7" offers remaining seats for that night's performance for
$7; and Thursdays are "Pay What You Want" for all remaining unsold seats onehalf hour before curtain.
For tickets and information visit shakespeareoc.org, call the Box Office at 714636-3729, or email [email protected]. For information on Group Rates
email [email protected] or call 714-590-1575.
All performances are in the Garden Grove Amphitheatre located at 12762 Main St,
Garden Grove, CA 92840. Free parking is available on the street and in the city
parking lot on Acacia Parkway one block west of Main St.
Follow SOC on Twitter, like it on Facebook, and view videos on Youtube.
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About VAALA
Founded in 1991 by a group of Vietnamese American journalists, artists and friends, the
Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) is a community-based, 501 (c)
(3) non-profit organization that seeks to connect and enrich communities through
Vietnamese art and culture. VAALA organizes numerous cultural events including art
exhibitions, book signings, music recitals, plays and the annual Viet Film Fest and
Children's Moon Festival Art Contest. VAALA also offers yearlong art and music classes.
About Relámpago del Cielo
Relámpago del Cielo Grupo Folklórico was formed in 1975 by Santa Ana College students
of Ms. Rosie Peña after they learned the folk dances of Mexico but wanted to dig deeper
into the culture behind the musical heritage. Encouraged and guided by their enthusiastic
instructor, they quickly expanded the group with other enthusiastic individuals to foster that
dream including the study of the history, geography and customs as well as the music of
the varied regions of Mexico. Now in its 40th year, RDC is excited to add to its credits
Disney Viva Navidad! a street party in Disney California Adventure for the past two holiday
seasons. This year its Director, Marlene Peña-Marin, was recognized by the 46th
Congressional District as Woman of the Year in the Arts Category and most recently the
organization was announced as the recipient of OC Arts 2015 Helena Modjeksa Cultural
Legacy Award.
About The Korean Social Club of Orange County
Formed as a social outreach club and community partner in the arts of Orange County,
The Korean Social Club of Orange County was founded in 2014 by Duck Soon Walcutt
with friends from her Korean language LDS ward in Garden Grove. Their mission is to
promote Korean involvement and exposure to the arts in the Garden Grove area, and to
work with other arts organizations and cultural groups in involving the Korean community
in the arts.
Co-Director Bios
John Walcutt (Co-Director/Producing Artistic Director) became Producing Artistic Director
of Shakespeare Orange County (SOC) in 2014. He had previously appeared in the title
role in Richard III, Cassius in Julius Caesar, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet among others.
He has guest starred on nearly 200 films and TV shows including Academy Award winners
such as Titanic, Little Miss Sunshine, Seabiscuit and Mulan. His recurring TV characters
include drunk Tom Johnson on JAG, Wide Brim on Ghost Whisperer, Dennis Hopper’s
whacked-out Doctor on Crash, and the time-traveling father of Jerry O’Connell in Sliders.
His long theatre career includes work at most major American theatres. He is an awardwinning Director, Screenwriter and Producer, and teaches a very popular On-Camera
Acting Class in LA.
Mike Peebler (Co-Director/Associate Artistic Director) has appeared in film and television
including "Masters of Sex," "American Horror Story," "Mad Men," "Mentalist," "Medium,"
"Num3ers," "Scrubs," "Wendal and Vinne," and Valkyrie . He has also appeared as
Hamlet, Brutus and Macduff at The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum as well as directing
its recent hit production of Equivocation. He was in SOC's The Tavern last season. He
conducts Shakespeare workshops for high school theater students and directs students in
Shakespeare productions throughout the Los Angeles school district. This he will direct
three short films he co-wrote.
Ramón de Ocampo (Romeo) LA Theater: Henry IV Part 1 (Hal), The Curse of
Oedipus (Oedipus), Macbeth, the Malcontent, King Lear, Pera Palas (all with
Antaeus); Girl Most Likely To, Sick (Playwrights Arena); Dogeaters, Much Ado, Neva (Kirk
Douglas). Regional theaters: NY Public, Delacorte, Kennedy Center, Signature, Lincoln
Center Lab, NJSF, Ojai, O’Neil, Yale, Ma-Yi among others. FILM: Happy Endings, xXx:
State of the Union, Hamlet, among others. TV: Recurring roles on 12 Monkeys, The West
Wing, Medium, Killer Instinct, Sons of Anarchy. Recent Guest Star: Castle, Bones, CSI,
NCIS, NCIS: NOLA and Gang Related. BFA: Carnegie Mellon. AWARDS: OBIE Award
Winner; Princess Grace Award; 8 AudioFile Audiobook Awards including “Best
Voice” www.ramondeocampo.com
Nikki SooHoo (Juliet) played gymnast Wei Wei in Disney's gymnastics feature, Stick It.
Other movie credits include The Lovely Bones and Bring It On - Fight to the Finish.
Recently, she wrapped up shooting Casual, a new show for Hulu and her voice can be
heard on Nickelodeon's new series Shimmer and Shine.
Bo Foxworth (Worchester/Sheriff) most recently appeared simultaneously in Skylight
Theater’s world premiere of Disconnection and Antaeus’s production of Henry IV Part 1.
Other recent theatre credits include SOC's The Tavern and Amadeus at ETC, and The
Liar, The Crucible (Ovation nomination for Lead Actor), Macbeth, The Seagull and The
Malcontent at Antaeus, where he is a company member. Bo has also worked at La
Mirada, A Noise Within (two Ovation nominations), Laguna Playhouse, Geffen Playhouse,
Disney Hall, LATW, Boston Court and The Hollywood Bowl. New York and regional credit
include The Lucile Lortel, The Century Theater, HERE, The Pearl Theater, The
Shakespeare Theater, Vienna’s English Theater in Vienna, Austria, The Long Wharf,
Baltimore Center Stage, Playmakers Rep, The Old Globe, Portland Stage, Yale Rep, and
many others. He has numerous film and television credits, most recently in "Castle." He is
a graduate of UCLA and received his Masters at The Yale School of Drama.
Tess Lina (Lady Capulet) most recently appeared in Animals Out of Paper at East West
Players. Regionally she has worked at the Mark Taper Forum, the Guthrie Theatre, La
Jolla Playhouse, San Jose Rep, Laguna Playhouse, Indiana Rep, and notably at the
Denver Center in a co-production with the Royal Shakespeare Company in London, on the
world premiere of Tantalus directed by Sir Peter Hall and written by John Barton. Film and
TV credits include: Danika with Marisa Tomei, Revenge, House, Mental, CSI,
CSI:Miami, NCIS, and Las Vegas. She is a graduate of Juilliard.
Dianne Manaster (Nurse) has appeared onstage at Chance Theater, Long Beach
Playhouse and Theatricum Botanicum, where she is a company member since 2010. At
SOC she appeared in The Tavern last season, and was appointed Music Director in 2014.
A professional musician, she has taught oboe for 20 years and performs with Opera
Pacific, Pacific Chorale, the L.A.Philharmonic, and the Pacific Symphony, where she is a
cast member for Family Musical Mornings and script advisor for Class Act Interactive
Musical Experience shows throughout Orange County Schools.
Michael Nehring (Friar Laurence), a founding member of SOC, is happy to be home after
appearing as Shylock, Prospero, Iago, Malvolio, Bottom, Benedick, Caliban, Polonius,
Gloucester and all the Shakespearean fools. Recent performances include If All The Sky
Were Paper at the Kirk Douglas Theatre and Our Class at Son of Semele Theatre
Ensemble in L.A. (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for performance). Favorite
roles include The Herald in Marat/Sade (LA Weekly Award for performance), the Bawd in
Pericles (A Noise Within), and Napoleon in Animal Farm (Ovation Award for Best Musical).
He is a Full Professor of theatre at Chapman University and Director of Education for The
Portland Shakespeare Project in Oregon.
Jenny Brum (Production Stage Manager) Broadway: 700 Sundays with Billy Crystal.
Regional: Sleepless in Seattle, Smokey Joe's Café: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller,
Aladdin and His Winter Wish, A Song at Twilight, and Kiss Me Kate (selected Pasadena
Playhouse credits). The Country House, Ruth Draper Monologues (Geffen Playhouse).
Other credits include Memphis (Cabrillo Music Theatre), Rank (Odyssey Theatre
Ensemble), Creation, Cassiopeia (The Theatre @ Boston Court), Equivocation, The
Women of Lockerbie (Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum).
For additional press information and photos, or to arrange interviews, email
[email protected].