Bromeo and Juliet: A Tale of Two Bros
at South County High School

Reviewed on April 30, 2021

Claire Centola
James Madison High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

Romeo, O Romeo "I hate you." Wait, that's not how the story goes! Or is it? South County High School's production of Bromeo and Juliet reveals the truth behind the famous Shakespearean tale and with friendship, feuds, and fun, it is surely a story for the ages.

This play began with the Bard telling the all-too well known and loved, romance of Verona, Italy. However, before he could get far, he was interrupted by Sister Laurence, who insisted that he had it all wrong. Loverboy Romeo was in love with … himself? From a conceited Romeo to a family feud over an unreturned bag of flour, to the wedding scheming Capulets and Montagues, Juliet got caught up in a loveless marriage that she couldn't escape. Finally, thinking that death was the only option, she decided to end her life, but before she could, her best bro, Tybalt, reminded her of their pact, "bros over …well, you know." The two ran away together, and lived happily ever after, rewriting the narrative.

Speaking of writing, script writer Dominique Monette, does it all. As writer and director, Monette added in nods to the original play, with a twist of humor. Ever thought it was weird that Juliet was only thirteen? Well in this version, Juliet has some thoughts about that too! As well, Monette was the driving force behind the onscreen spectacle, adding in impeccable direction that helped the play flow as seamlessly as the leggings that are "all the rave" among royals.

Storytellers, the Bard, played by Kamryn Shuler, and Sister Laurence, played by Kyra Charters introduced a dynamic full of bantering and humor. Shuler's set old-fashioned ways and disbelief over the story perfectly contradicted Charters' all-knowing tone and cocky attitude.

As well, the dynamic duo of Juliet and Tybalt was the true perfect coupling of Verona. Juliet, portrayed by Madi Madamba, was a strong-willed, independent feminist and Tybalt, portrayed by Parker Bryant was her sassy and larger than life other half. Together, they played off each other and their chemistry was impeccable, creating the powerful "bromance" of the story.

Overall, the ensemble had great character dynamics and brought to life the story with creative comedic timing and high, palpable energy. The duos of characters throughout this show complemented each other and were one of the show's greatest strengths.

Another aid to this story's humor was medieval ambience created by the musical and set aspects. This calm ancient environment was juxtaposed with the modern humor, adding yet another touch of hilarity. Background music, composed by Zach Patel, and the scroll-like set created a calm, and beautiful medieval feel to the show.

The final ending of this show, with the parting of the actors from the stage, was such sweet sorrow and the cast and crew of South County's Bromeo and Juliet are a sight not to be missed!

Stella Monner
James Madison High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" Thou art currently starring in a one act show! The most classic and tragic love story of all time. There have been thousands of rewrites and parodies, but none like Bromeo and Juliet written and performed by South County High School.

This parody style comedy, written by Dominique Monette, a sophomore at South County High School, follows the familiar tale of the two star crossed lovers, well kind of. Instead of the tragically beautiful tale where the two lovers fall in love, we learn what really happened between the two houses of Capulet and Montague, and how our forlorn lovers really felt about their "match made in heaven."

Bromeo and Juliet would not have been complete without a sensational cast. Appearing in the role of the cheeky Juliet, Madi Madamba brought a plethora of personality to the table. Her ability to play off her castmates and express Juliet's every thought, spoken or not, brought the timeless character into a new light. Madamba's Juliet was a missing puzzle piece to Aadith Iyer's Romeo. Iyer depicted the reimagined goofy and aloof Romeo as he was truly meant to be all along. Using a powerful armada of creative physicality and witty comedic timing, Iyer helped to add expertly timed remarks to this quick paced comedy.

Bringing even more light and clarity to the quarrel between the two houses, Zach Patel and Aren Iverson brought a whole new meaning to the wordy "comedy" in the roles of Lord and Lady Capulet, respectively. There was not a dull moment with the two on stage. Throwing increasingly passive-aggressive pet names at each other, they played off each other exceedingly well. Another notable pair was the Bard, played by Kamryn Shuler, and Sister Lawrence, played by Kyra Charters. This pair of dual narrators helped to dictate the retelling of this ageless show. They played off of one another with perfectly executed banter, their on-stage chemistry was undeniable.

While the acting element of Bromeo and Juliet was stellar, it was on par with the technical elements. A memorable part of the show was the original music, composed by Zach Patel, which played during the intro and outro of the show. It created the perfect environment and set up for this Monty-Python-esque farce. The most evident portion of this show was the exceptional script writing, done by Dominique Monette. Monette perfectly rewrote this Shakespearean into a modern romance. Her undeniable sense of humor paired with exceptionally talented actors created the perfect climate for a hit show. There will no doubt be a marquis with Miss Monette's name one day.

South County High School's production of Bromeo and Juliet brought an immortal show into the 21st century. Thanks to their brilliant cast and crew, the timeless star-crossed lovers will continue to dazzle and inspire generations to come.

Maya Berry
South Lakes High School
Submitted for publication to FCPS Community News

Take two archetypical young lovers in the 16th century, whose arranged marriages and rival parents help tragically end their love, and you've got Romeo and Juliet. Now, take an empowered young female, Juliet - whose refusal to marry Romeo prompts her to run to the countryside with Tybalt - and you've got Bromeo and Juliet. In South County High School's "Bromeo and Juliet," the audience followed Juliet as she considered her identity and worth as a female in her arranged relationship with Romeo. Writer Dominique Monette, who also directed and edited the one-act, truly adapted the Shakespearean classic with a modern perspective and playfully witty humor in this live-taped performance, with undertones from a gorgeous musical composition by Zach Patel.

At the beginning of the show, Juliet (Madi Madamba) struggled to grasp the reality of getting married at the age of 13. Juliet confides in her brother-like figure, Tybalt (Parker Bryant). Romeo (Aadith Iyer), her chosen husband-to-be, was only interested in having a wife, so his mother, the esteemed Lady Montague, would stop nagging. Romeo finds his wisdom in Mercutio (Tristan Pederson), who explains how a visual phenomenon of their marriage would only elevate Romeo's family status. Juliet's parents, Lord Capulet and Lady Capulet, met the Montague family. However, Juliet devised a plan to fake her death. Tybalt finally managed to save Juliet from their near tragic ending and the two lived out their days in the countryside.

Every character in the show was well-played and contrasted with the other characters. Tybalt was a sensible and level-headed complement to Juliet, helping her sort out her conflicted thoughts along the way. Romeo's character was easy to hate at first as he ignored Juliet's concerns and only cared about himself, but Aadith Iyer added compelling layers to the character as the audience was asked to consider the repercussions of their marriage at a young age. Lord and Lady Capulet were perfectly class conscious, portrayed excellently by Zach Patel and Aren Iverson, and consumed by their family name and societal status. The Montagues added more conflict to the story with the theme of rivalry. They were played by Nathan Wilson and Megan Haight, demonstrating little care for their son, but displaying their morally questionable nature with each line. The narrators, Sister Laurence (Kyra Charters) and Bard (Kamryn Shuler), took on dual roles in the show - one being the foil to the other - and added a layer to the narrative that was both humorous and clear-cut. Tybalt's brotherly advice for Romeo inspired Juliet to be more confident in her true calling as an independent female. Pederson as Mercutio added a comical lens to the story, worshipping Romeo as if he were god-like.

The props utilized made it seem like the actors performing from their houses and were in one location. The script and direction by Dominique Monette provided a well-rounded production that beautifully played off of the Shakespearean classic and virtual format.

Overall, the production wonderfully displayed the power of self-worth, powerful friendships, and "bros." The ending, cleverly hand-written as in a storybook, asked the audience to consider their purpose and relationships in life, knowing that those around us can help guide and serve as our mentors on the right path. Well, one that doesn't end in tragedy!

Denali Greer
James Madison High School
Submitted for publication to Lorton Valley Star

We've all heard the classic tale: two lovers, torn apart by fate and their circumstances. But what if Shakespeare wrote it wrong?

In South County High School's production of "Bromeo & Juliet: A Tale of Two Bros," director and playwright Dominique Monette illustrated a modern take on the classic tale. After discovering the play that he knew and loved was false, narrator William (Kamryn Shuler) allowed for the sassy Sister Lawrence (Kyra Charters) to describe the events as they occurred. Juliet and her best friend Tybalt, who disagreed about what to do about Juliet's impending arranged marriage, started the play. Juliet became entwined in a forced relationship with the arrogant narcissist, Romeo. His servant-like friend Mercutio came with Romeo, as if the two were a package deal. Much to Juliet's dismay, Tybalt became increasingly less helpful in easing Juliet's plight, leading her to fake her own death in order to escape the loveless marriage. With both modern comedy and feminist undertones, the new play was an entertaining blend of genres.

"Bromeo & Juliet: A Tale of Two Bros" was a fun, high-spirited virtual production that captured both the irony and idiocy of the source material and the comedy of modern-day teens. The show was anchored in its comedic timing and carried by the skillful actors. The production was performed in a read-through style, meaning none of the actors needed to memorize their lines. Despite this, the actors played their characters as if it were the roles they were born to play.

Madi Madamba, who played Juliet, was the core of the production. Her mannerisms and ways of speaking perfectly embodied a thirteen-year-old girl and conveyed the message that child marriage wasn't a good idea. Another perfectly casted character was Tybalt, played by Parker Bryant.

Lord and Lady Capulet were highlights of the ensemble. Played by Zach Patel and Aren Iverson, respectively, the two played off each other incredibly, making for a hilarious and realistic parental duo. Similarly, Lord and Lady Montague (Nathan Wilson and Megan Haight) created a comedic duo that was believably the narcissistic Romeo's parents.

With minimal props and costumes, the editing and management of the production were given lots of room to shine. And, luckily, both these areas were worthy of praise. The editing was used to signify characters leaving and entering rooms and was very well timed and managed. Using an online meeting platform to perform can be risky, yet the stage manager, Lauren Gear, handled it well. Additionally, there was excellent original music composition done by Zach Patel.

"Bromeo & Juliet: A Tale of Two Bros" is the story of love, friendship, and betrayal, just like the original, except a little less serious.

Beverly D'Andrea
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

What if Romeo was a self-obsessed imbecile, Juliet a disillusioned feminist, and Tybalt simply a chill bro? Shakespeare may disagree but in South County High School's riotous reimagining of the classic story these are all realities. Morphing the tragic tale into a truly witty comedy allowed the audience another perspective on the story while poking fun at the glossed-over aspects of the original material, "down with the monarchy and up with the ladies".

The play was an original piece, written by sophomore Dominique Monette during her time spent in quarantine. It's based off Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet written in the 16th century. The play is driven by two narrators who have vastly different ideas of how the story goes. Sister Lawrence explains to baffled narrator William that the famous pair were far from in love, they hated each other. What ensues is a comic clash of personalities and the never-before-seen truth of Romeo and Juliet.

The narcissistic Romeo was played by Aadith Iyer. Iyer threw himself fully into his character, creating a believably self-obsessed milquetoast for Juliet to authentically throw all her disdain onto. His physicality and affected demeanor allowed him to react to everything in character, going so far as to enter with a finger part way up his nose seeming completely unfazed. Madi Madamba played the feisty Juliet. The ferocity Madamba brought to Juliet could be seen as she lashed out at the unfairness of her lot. The actress added a devious edge to the 13-year-old as she schemed how to undermine her parents' plans. Madamba created a foil to Iyer's Romeo so that the friction between the two was a palpable entity, culminating in their final separation. Madamba used Juliet's zinging one-liners about the problems of the time (her life being half over at 13 and the possibility that being forced into marriage may be quite un-bro-like) to great effect to highlight her personality.

Parker Bryant played Tybalt, Juliet's best friend and confidant. Bryant's exuberance radiated out of his zoom square and infused his and Juliet's banter with an extra level of comedy. His relationship with Juliet was well cultivated and believable. His large physicalization brought out more in Juliet as well, a very realistic portrayal of how best friends interact. Juliet's slightly unhinged mother Lady Capulet was played by Aren Iverson with deranged delight. In her exchange with her frazzled husband Lord Capulet (Zach Patel) Iverson let her character's calm facade slip further and further down until it cowered at her feet, so out of control did her anger get. Her ability to make "pookie-bear" sound threatening was a testament to Iverson's commitment to character.

The tongue-in-cheek script by Dominique Monette was an impressive piece of writing with many great one-liners that heightened the comedy with their brevity. The story was well thought out and the characters all had distinct goals. Monette also directed the show, and her skill shone through in the artful choices her actors made with their lines. The cast only had four rehearsals of the piece, but under Monette's capable hands she crafted a captivating show through her writing and direction.

We may never know the truth about the lovers but the hilarity and fun that was South County High School's production of Bromeo and Juliet: A Tale of Two Bros is undeniable. As Juliet would say, Oh Romeo, Romeo, go away Romeo!