Restoring Romeo
a comedy
Celebrated actor Charlotte Cushman wants to play Romeo, using Shakespeare’s original text. But most of the cast protest. They demand the cleaned-up Garrick version.
CHARACTERS
Female
CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN, American actor, 29
SALLIE MERCER, Black American, Charlotte’s dresser, 16
Male
EDWIN FORREST, American actor, 39
BENJAMIN (BEN) WEBSTER, English theatre manager, 48
PLACE
A dressing room in the Haymarket Theatre, London
TIME
December, 1845
CHARACTERS
Female
CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN, American actor, 29
SALLIE MERCER, Black American, Charlotte’s dresser, 16
Male
EDWIN FORREST, American actor, 39
BENJAMIN (BEN) WEBSTER, English theatre manager, 48
PLACE
A dressing room in the Haymarket Theatre, London
TIME
December, 1845
* 2nd place, William Faulkner Literary Competition: One-Act Play, New Albany, Mississippi, 2022
- Published in London: Smoke, Blokes and Jokes of Foggy Town, Red Penguin, 2022
- Published in For Stage and Screen, Issue 3: "After", 2023
(video)
Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights / West Hollywood Pride Play Reading Festival
West Hollywood, California
June 25, 2022
Cast: Andrea Jacobsen (Charlotte), Jacqueline Youm (Sallie), Maurice Kessler (Edwin), Henry Graham Murray (Ben)
Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights / West Hollywood Pride Play Reading Festival
West Hollywood, California
June 25, 2022
Cast: Andrea Jacobsen (Charlotte), Jacqueline Youm (Sallie), Maurice Kessler (Edwin), Henry Graham Murray (Ben)
Video of Andrea Jacobsen (Charlotte), Maurice Kessler (Edwin), Jacqueline Youm (Sallie) and Henry Graham Murray (Ben)
(online reading)
Anything Goes! Theatre Lab
ANDTheatre Company
New York, NY
April 27, 2022
Cast: Andrea Jacobsen (Charlotte), Jacqueline Youm (Sallie), David Kubicka (Edwin), Gene Santarelli (Ben)
Anything Goes! Theatre Lab
ANDTheatre Company
New York, NY
April 27, 2022
Cast: Andrea Jacobsen (Charlotte), Jacqueline Youm (Sallie), David Kubicka (Edwin), Gene Santarelli (Ben)
Andrea Jacobsen (Charlotte), David Kubicka (Edwin), Gene Santarelli (Ben) and Jacqueline Youm (Sallie)
(online reading)
The Salon
Pipeline-Collective
Nashville, Tennessee
October 18, 2021
Cast: Kristen Fields (Charlotte), Myah Jackson (Sallie), Josh Kiev (Edwin), Henry Graham Murray (Ben)
Directed by Chris Tracy
The Salon
Pipeline-Collective
Nashville, Tennessee
October 18, 2021
Cast: Kristen Fields (Charlotte), Myah Jackson (Sallie), Josh Kiev (Edwin), Henry Graham Murray (Ben)
Directed by Chris Tracy
Kristen Fields (Charlotte), Josh Kiev (Edwin), Henry Graham Murray (Ben) and Myah Jackson (Sallie)
(online reading)
Moving Parts
Paris, France
October 17, 2021
Cast: Erin Perrine (Charlotte), Hanniffa Patterson (Sallie), Dan Heching (Edwin), Dario Costa (Ben)
Directed by Stephanie Campion
Moving Parts
Paris, France
October 17, 2021
Cast: Erin Perrine (Charlotte), Hanniffa Patterson (Sallie), Dan Heching (Edwin), Dario Costa (Ben)
Directed by Stephanie Campion
Erin Perrine (Charlotte), Dan Heching (Edwin), Dario Costa (Ben) and Hanniffa Patterson (Sallie)
(online reading)
Winner
Surfside Playhouse 10-Minute Play Contest
Cocoa Beach, Florida
October 2, 2021
Cast: Becky Behl-Hill (Charlotte), Chloe Collins (Sallie), David Hill (Edwin), Steven J Wolf (Ben)
Winner
Surfside Playhouse 10-Minute Play Contest
Cocoa Beach, Florida
October 2, 2021
Cast: Becky Behl-Hill (Charlotte), Chloe Collins (Sallie), David Hill (Edwin), Steven J Wolf (Ben)
Becky Behl-Hill (Charlotte), Chloe Collins (Sallie), David Hill (Edwin) and Steven J Wolf (Ben)
Review
"Restoring Romeo by Rex McGregor is a delightful, challenging, comedy written primarily in Shakespeare’s verse form – iambic pentameter..."
- Jennifer Wolf, Surfside Players 10-Minute Playwriting Contest
(online reading)
Tiger’s Heart Players
New York, NY
September 19, 2021
Cast: Rachel Hettrick (Charlotte), Linda White (Sallie), Joel Roman (Edwin), Alexander Clark (Ben)
Tiger’s Heart Players
New York, NY
September 19, 2021
Cast: Rachel Hettrick (Charlotte), Linda White (Sallie), Joel Roman (Edwin), Alexander Clark (Ben)
Rachel Hettrick (Charlotte), Joel Roman (Edwin), Linda White (Sallie) and Alexander Clark (Ben)
(online reading)
P.A.G.E.S.
New York, NY
August 3, 2021
Cast: Suzanne Goldensohn (Charlotte), Meredith Watson (Sallie), Maurice Kessler (Edwin), Arthur Lundquist (Ben)
P.A.G.E.S.
New York, NY
August 3, 2021
Cast: Suzanne Goldensohn (Charlotte), Meredith Watson (Sallie), Maurice Kessler (Edwin), Arthur Lundquist (Ben)
Suzanne Goldensohn (Charlotte), Maurice Kessler (Edwin), Arthur Lundquist (Ben) and Meredith Watson (Sallie)
(online reading)
Dunne's Downtime Players
Eldersburg, Maryland
July 25, 2021
Cast: Lori Bruun (Charlotte), Sarah Kezman (Sallie), Steve Bruun (Edwin), Jeff Dunne (Ben)
Dunne's Downtime Players
Eldersburg, Maryland
July 25, 2021
Cast: Lori Bruun (Charlotte), Sarah Kezman (Sallie), Steve Bruun (Edwin), Jeff Dunne (Ben)
Sarah Kezman (Sallie), Steve Bruun (Edwin), Lori Bruun (Charlotte) and Jeff Dunne (Ben)