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Grow Up, Juliet

one-act comedy
Synopsis
Grieving Juliet wants to join Romeo in death. But she learns she is the victim of an elaborate hoax. Who is behind it? Surely not Friar Laurence.

Characters
JULIET                              played by a young woman
FRIAR  LAURENCE, etc.   played by a young woman
TYBALT                             played by a young man
ROMEO                             played by a young man
 
Setting
Capulet family crypt, Verona 
Medieval or Elizabethan period


Grow Up, Juliet
is available as the third part of a trilogy of short plays on the theme of Coming of Age: Grow Up, Girls.
Published by YouthPLAYS.
​Also published in Girls on the Brink: Seven female-forward plays for young adults (YouthPLAYS).
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(online reading)
Anything Goes! Theatre Lab
ANDTheatre Company
New York, NY
November 23, 2022


Cast: Maille-Rose Smith​ (Juliet), Hannah Lee DeFrates​ (Friar Laurence, etc), John Lampe (Tybalt)​, David Kubicka (Romeo) ​
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Maille-Rose Smith​ (Juliet), Hannah Lee DeFrates​ (Friar Laurence, etc), John Lampe (Tybalt)​ and David Kubicka (Romeo)

(online reading)
The Salon
Pipeline-Collective
Orlando, Florida
​October 17, 2022

Cast: Kiara Dowell (Juliet), Susan Louise O'Connor (Friar Laurence, etc), Cole Carlin 
(Tybalt)​, Sam Kell (Romeo) 
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Kiara Dowell (Juliet), Susan Louise O'Connor (Friar Laurence, etc), Cole Carlin (Tybalt)​ and Sam Kell (Romeo)

(online reading)
P.A.G.E.S.
New York, NY
August 2, 2022


Cast: Saoirse Hooper (Juliet), Victoria Freedman (Friar Laurence, etc), Maurice Kessler (Tybalt)​, Rocco Spoon (Romeo) 
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Saoirse Hooper (Juliet), Victoria Freedman (Friar Laurence, etc), Maurice Kessler (Tybalt)​ and Rocco Spoon (Romeo)

Edge Fest​
Birdhouse Theatre
Milledgeville, Georgia
​May 24-25, 2019

Cast: Bailee Adams (Juliet),
Julia Whitten (Friar Laurence, etc), Cole Hanlin (Tybalt), David Connel (Romeo)

​Directed by Iona Holder

Yokota High School
​Fussa, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan
January 11, 2017

The Short Short Play Festival
The Social Capital Theatre
Toronto, Canada
July 22 & 24, 2015

Directed by Anand Rajaram

Cast: Tahirih Vejdani (Juliet), Taylor Trowbridge (Friar Laurence, etc), Ron Pederson (Tybalt), Sunnie James (Romeo)
With Ben Harris (guitar)

Review
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Director Anand Rajaram with Taylor Trowbridge, Sunnie James and Tahirih Vejdani preparing for Grow Up, Juliet in Toronto
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ShowOff! International Playwriting Festival*
Camino Real Playhouse

San Juan Capistrano, California
January 16-22, 2015

Directed by Rick Kerrigan

Cast: Sabrina Paris (Juliet), Bettina Saam (Friar Laurence, etc), Ed Gillow (Tybalt), Casey Moriarty (Romeo)
Costumier: Daisy McGarr

*Grow Up, Juliet placed Fourth in the competition
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Sabrina Paris (Juliet)
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Bettina Saam (Friar Laurence)
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Sabrina Paris, Bettina Saam, Casey Moriarty
PictureSabrina Saam & Ed Gillow

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Bettina Saam

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The Very Best Playground
Ghost Dog Productions
Etcetera Theatre
London
January 10-11, 2015

Directed by Matthew Radway

Cast: Alice Bennett (Juliet), Sarah Anson (Friar Laurence, etc.), Joseph Banks (Tybalt), Jack Blackburn (Romeo) 

Review
"Grow Up Juliet, written by Rex McGregor and directed by Matthew Radway, showed commendable craft on the part of the writer. Written in Shakespearean language, I think iambic pentameter was used and rhyming verse definitely was at points. In it, we see Juliet about to kill herself next to Romeo's corpse. Foiled by a retractable dagger, the story's classic features go on to get rewritten one by one. Language is artfully employed: sundry infamous quotes are humorously re-written to fit the new context. The overly exaggerated performances fit with the piece's irreverent attitude. Although the comedy isn't particularly nuanced, there is real humour to be found in the way McGregor subverts our expectations and assumptions, as well as copying Shakespeare's love of disguise and mistaken identity. The strength of the piece lies with the writer, rather than the director or actors - who do justice to the piece but don't add much extra." - I Like Plays, Do You?
Review
"If you've ever lost patience with the star cross'd lovers of the Bard's well-known tragedy, you'll appreciate Rex McGregor's less than sympathetic treatment of Juliet (Alice Bennett) in Grow Up Juliet. Following her sweetheart's death, she's ready to kill herself, but is all really what it seems? There was plenty of trickery in the Bard's original ending, but here McGregor throws in more twists than M. Night Shyamalan's entire back catalogue and really ramps up the deception." - Views from the Gods

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Warner International Playwrights Festival 
Nancy Marine Studio Theatre
Torrington, Connecticut
October 16, 2014

Directed by Lynn Paulella Beard

Cast: Gillian Russo (Juliet), Sarah Skrip (Friar Laurence, etc.), Cole Sutton (Tybalt), Morgan Morse (Romeo)

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Sarah Skrip as Friar Laurence and Gillian Russo as Juliet (with Cole Sutton and Morgan Morse as the corpses of Tybalt and Romeo)

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Playground: Deception
Ghost Dog Productions
The Horse & Stables
London
September 22-24, 2014

Directed by Matthew Radway

Cast: Harriet Layhe (Juliet), Sarah Anson (Friar Laurence, etc.), Joseph Banks (Tybalt), Jack Blackburn (Romeo) 

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Harriet Layhe (Juliet), Joseph Banks (Tybalt), Sarah Anson (Friar Laurence, etc.) and on the floor: Jack Blackburn (Romeo)
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Jack Blackburn (Romeo) and Sarah Anson (Friar Laurence)
Review
"Spoofing Shakespeare can be a tricky business and, for my money, the only people to come close to the Bard are The Reduced Shakespeare Company and Tom Stoppard. Now I can add Rex McGregor to that list for Grow Up Juliet, in which "Oh happy dagger" has a retractable blade and from then on, much like the evening as a whole, things just get weird. I'm not going to spoil what happens to Juliet (Harriet Layhe) at the hands of Friar Laurence... (Sarah Anson). McGregor's script - in rhyming couplets and probably iambic pentameter but I was too busy laughing to check - is chock-full of quality running gags (hard to do in ten minutes), terrible but brilliant puns ("A ruse by any other name...") and it's all handled with a panto-cum-Jeremy Kyle flair by director Matthew Radway." - Views from the Gods

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Short Play Lab
Roy Arias Studios, Stage II 
New York, NY
April 26-27, 2014

Directed by Sara Stevens

Cast: Monique Huff (Juliet), Libby Froeber (Friar Laurence, etc.), Nick Bombicino (Tybalt), Richard Lindenfelzer (Romeo)
Costumes: Hannah Goldman

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Monique Huff (Juliet)
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Libby Froeber (Friar Laurence, etc.)
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Richard Lindenfelzder (Romeo)
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Nick Bombicino (Tybalt)

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Staged reading:
Scratch Scripts
Gatton Community Theatre
Reigate, Surrey, UK
October 31, 2014

Directed by Lixi Chivas

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Staged reading:
Block & Talk
Abstract Sentiment Theatre Co.
Alchemical Theatre Laboratory
New York, NY
October 30, 2014

Directed by Viktoria I.V. King

Cast: Megan Quinn (Juliet), Janay Monique (Friar Laurence, etc.), Andy MacLain (Tybalt), Will Jacobs (Romeo)
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Juliet (Megan Quinn) mourns Romeo (Will Jacobs) - with Tybalt (Andy MacLain) lying nearby and Friar Laurence (Janay Monique) about to step in

Staged reading:
TLW LEXiCON Literary Festival 
The Alexander Centre
Faversham, Kent, UK
March 16, 2014

Directed by Ben Slythe

Cast: Cate Myddleton-Evans (Juliet), Katie Baugh (Friar Laurence, etc.),  Robyn Guy (Tybalt), Nigel Barker (Romeo)

Play reading on YouTube
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Cate Myddleton-Evans (Juliet)
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Katie Baugh (Friar Laurence, etc.)
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Nigel Barker (Romeo)
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Robyn Guy (Tybalt)

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Play reading: 
Scratch Script Night
Verbal

The Shoebox at the Riverside
Sheffield, UK
October 13, 2014


Play readings:
One for the Road
Eastbound Theatre

Milford Center for the Arts
Milford, Connecticut
July 25-27, 2014
&
Westport Community Theatre
Westport, Connecticut
August 1-2, 2014


Play reading:
Writers' House
Ilkley Playhouse
Ilkley, West Yorkshire, UK
January 11, 2014
Directed by Ash Caton


French version: Grandis, Juliette