Reflection on Romeo and Juliet Adaptation

This adaptation of Romeo and Juliet is very different from the original play. Although it is still a tragedy and has the original characters, the theme of the play has changed. It also approaches the idea in a more modern way, inserting the concept of artificial intelligence. It borrows the story from the original Romeo and Juliet and adds a new layer over it to change the color of the story. It also collects people’s upcoming concern on artificial intelligence. By delivering the desperate of the robots in the game, the adaptation indicates the inhumanity of the thought of “slavering” individuals that are highly intelligent, even they are made by the humans. Unlike the original Shakespeare's play, it points the moral arrow to the modern topic of AIs.

All the group members did well on the performance. Yun’s robotic style of speaking is precisely designed for the adaptation. It would be better if all the lines were properly memorized. I played the Romeo in the scene. The Romeo in this adaptation is not as “self-aware” as Juliet. He loves Juliet more and thus mostly agrees with everything Juliet thinks. His love towards Juliet is eyeless. However, his faith in Juliet enlightens him to doubt the world he lives. Thus I added movements for “thinking” in the show, which can be seen from some of the pauses.

However, I wasn’t able to distribute the work to the group mates well when I was writing the script. When I was writing the script, I did not fully consider the different personalities people might have. It took too much time on either adjusting the script or accustoming the uncomfortable lines. Even at the end, the show had difficulties at some points when people were struggling to say their lines. Next time in a group project like this, we should gather and make the script altogether. It will not only make the show more fluently but will also save time in memorizing the lines.

As I went through The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Mr. Aronson told us to think the meaning behind each line. Though the technique has a different application on The Caucasian Chalk Circle for its specifics, in my opinion, it can apply to the normal actings, too. There are lines can be delivered entirely differently by delivering them under different thoughts. For example, “Thanks” can be heard either as a compliment or as sarcasm. I also think the audience will receive a stronger feeling if the lines are expressed differently compared to their literal meanings. Thus in the script, I wrote some hints about the thoughts after some lines. These thoughts are what characters should think when they are saying the lines. I think it will enrich the content of the show by adding a deeper layer as the actors are constantly thinking. It is also what I have learned and have been good enough to put into practice. 

As a group, we accomplished the lines and the costumes. However, it was not well organized when we were working together. It was a group project, but later I was put into a position as the director because I wrote the proposal. The group decided to let me write the whole script. However, people were not paying too much attention to their parts. I did not function like a real director commanding the cast because I know it is a group project. I was confused and worried about the progress, but I gave no power for myself to force the group moving onward. Hope next time I will put myself in a better position to benefit the group as a whole.

The adaptation is a different work from the original version. However, I borrowed the story just like Shakespeare borrowed from others. Maybe he borrowed the story of Romeo and Juliet and adjusted it to his own story that gets people’s attention at his time. The adaptation of the same story indicates how people’s life will change from time to time. 20 years later, the adaptation of Romeo and Juliet might be a completely new story that we could not imagine. How would it be different? Only the time can tell.