This year, the CHS  winter production will be “Romeo and Juliet” — with modern twists. The CHS theater will use a shortened 90-minute adaptation written by professor of theatre Diane Timmerman at Butler that has abridged the classic play by William Shakespeare but still incorporates the original script. The show will run from Feb. 4 to 6, with three showings being offered.

Sophomore Anja Reese plays one of the two main characters in the production, Juliet.

“(Our rendition) is definitely still a version of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ but it’s our own take on it,” Reese said. “Our costumes, set and music will be more modern-looking. There is also some gender-bending in the casting, which I think makes it more unique.”

The famous play revolves around two teenagers who fall in love but cannot be together due to the feud between their rival families. Senior Aaron Guevara plays Romeo and said the modernization of the play allowed him to connect with his character more.

“You definitely have to develop a feeling of connection with (your character) before you can actually portray them accurately,” Guevara said. “The thing that I love about Romeo is he’s kind of like a daydreamer. He’s kind of like a hopeless romantic in my eyes and I think that I have a very creative imagination and I can definitely relate to that.”

According to theater director Maggie Cassidy via email, the CHS theater presents a Shakespearean production every three to four years and “Romeo and Juliet” is a play many are familiar with. Additionally, she said she hopes there will be a lot of interest in the production as the English 9 students read and learned about the play in class.

“I chose specifically to do ‘Romeo and Juliet’ this year because I wanted a large cast; I love the stage combat and dance choreography that goes along with several scenes,” Cassidy said via email. “We’re going to try to make (the show) as accessible as possible to adults and teenagers alike for this generation and something they can understand and enjoy.”

Guevara first got involved in theater when he was in eighth grade and said it has always been his outlet of expression.

“I’ve made a lot of friends in the theater community and it’s nice to be able to express yourself by immersing yourself in a different character,” he said. “There’s a lot more than just remembering your lines and reading them off as you really have to connect with the people that you’re on stage with.”

Both Guevara and Reese said being a part of the theater program at CHS has allowed them to gain different experiences.

Guevara said being involved in productions has taught him to be a team player.

“In relating to characters, you learn to relate to other people and get in the mindsets of people and empathize with them in different situations,” he said.

“(Being a part of theater) has helped me be a better performer,” Reese said. “I have learned a lot about different interpretations of shows and I can relate to my character more in terms of her teenage lifestyle.”

Cassidy said with Shakespeare, cast members spend a lot of time dissecting the language and constantly have a dictionary on hand to look up all the words they do not understand or search the internet to help understand certain phrases. She said the actors have to know what they are saying in order for the audience to understand it.

“When you think of theater, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is one of the first things that comes to mind,” Guevara said. “If you’ve never been to a theater production, definitely come to this one because it’s going to be relatable and of course, it’s a main-stage production so we put a lot more work into this one as well. The staging and costuming is a lot more exquisite (and) phenomenal and the productions are always super exciting.”

“(By being a part of theater,) students gain confidence, develop work ethic, develop skills of working together — building and ensemble. I like working with the students and the ability to get to know my students outside of the classroom,” Cassidy said. “I love seeing the final product and I am so full of pride for the students on stage (and) backstage and amazed at their incredible talent.”