Berlin To Host ‘Romeo And Juliet’

BERLIN -- The Brown Box Theatre Project will be taking the Bard out of the books and into the streets this fall with free performances of Romeo and Juliet all across the Eastern Shore.

Directed by Berlin native Kyler Taustin, the Brown Box shows will start in Boston, where the theater is based, and eventually head south beginning Sept. 7 to several local spots, including stops in Salisbury, Snow Hill, Ocean Pines, Ocean City, St. Martin’s Church and Berlin.

According to Berlin Director of Community and Economic Development Michael Day, the town is looking forward to having Romeo and Juliet performed on Main Street.

“I think it’ll be great,” he said.

The play will take place in Berlin on Friday, Sept. 14, from 6:30-8 p.m. and will coincide with Berlin’s 2nd Friday event for the month. Day explained the theatre is well versed in all things Shakespeare.

“Each year they do a different Shakespeare play,” Day said.

While Brown Box has performed around Berlin and in town at The Globe in the past, this will be the first time the troupe has acted out a free play on the street.

“We try to bring Shakespeare to people the way he was meant to be seen, which is live theater,” said Taustin.

Taustin eventually left the area to attend Emerson College in Boston. After graduating, he and Kimberly Barrante, an Emerson alum as well, founded Brown Box in 2009 with the intent of operating a theater group that allows artists a large amount of freedom in how they work.

“It’s for artists as well as the audience,” he said.

Taustin explained that Brown Box doesn’t try to “pigeonhole” artists into just acting, writing or directing. It also emphasizes new works, published plays and Shakespeare, which led the group to offer free performances every year.

This includes open-street performances like the ones offered around the shore, as well as some school showings at Worcester Prep, Stephen Decatur High School, Bennett High School, Wicomico High School and the Salisbury School.

“For me it is definitely an exciting thing,” said Taustin.

Though based in Boston, Brown Box is looking to move into new areas and connect with new audiences. He added that Brown Box has been involved with the Eastern Shore since the theater was founded and has been working to “maintain regular progress and a regular presence” on the shore.

For more information and a full schedule of showings, visit www.brownboxtheatre.org