Hartford Stage’s latest production of Romeo & Juliet features many talents of The Hartt School, as four students are part of the ensemble, faculty member Annmarie Kelly plays the role of Juliet’s nurse, and the choreography is by Dean Dale Merrill. This is a continuum of a long-term partnership between The Hartt School and Hartford Stage, as throughout its many productions over the years, many Hartt students have had the opportunity to be featured on stage. Their latest production is another opportunity for students to work alongside seasoned professionals, gain valuable on-stage experience at the leading regional theatre, as well as forge valuable connections in the industry. A recent review from Berkshire on Stage of the production calls it “one of the finest productions ever.”
As dean of The Hartt School, Dale Merrill understands firsthand the importance of connections and community, something he experienced alongside the Hartt students while working on the production. As choreographer, he was able to witness the Hartt students’ talents from a different perspective. While it would be arguably easier to have a more hawkish viewpoint on the actors’ movements as choreographer for the show rather than simply a spectator, Merrill was full of praise. He says that the students “really are a whole other level.” The students, all actor training majors, are set to graduate later this month. Students include Liliana Alva ’25, Jeremy Parrott ’25, Jason Pietroluongo ’25, and Madelyn Rothstein ’25. Merrill explains that while all actor training students take dance courses, they are not trained dancers, but this was yet another example of a production that showcased their talents and expert training. In fact, he says that these students “make me so proud.” Furthermore, their dedication and commitment to their craft is so strong that the final show falls on the same day as UHart’s Commencement ceremony, which will cause them to miss the larger graduation ceremony. However, this is not ‘a story of more woe,’ as Merrill has arranged a special graduation ceremony following their last performance to be at Hartford Stage, a fitting and unique ‘encore’ to their dynamic actor training experience.
Merrill’s own involvement in the production was both serendipitous as well organic. Merrill has a long history of choreographer credits to his name, including musicals, operas, and dance, which was well-known to Hartford Stage’s artistic director Melia Bensussen. Yet in recent years and now as Hartt's dean, he has mainly lent his talents as choreographer to various Hartt productions and less external ones. When discussions about his involvement with Hartford Stage evolved, Merrill says “it felt like the right time and the right opportunity.” Additionally, this experience provided Merrill with an impactful creative collaboration with Bensussen and only deepened the ties to the Hartford area arts scene. He says “As a relatively new member of the community [having joined Hartt in 2021], this was a great opportunity for me as an artist to contribute to the broader community. I am so grateful to Melia, and her shared vision and collaboration was so meaningful.”
Merrill’s collaboration with Bensussen is best showcased in both the opening and closing scenes, where choreography is responsible for both setting the scene and leaving a lasting impact. To bookend the famous tragedy, Merrill’s choreography sets the ambiance at the beginning through a ball macabre scene, and at the end of the play with the creation of a movement vocabulary embodied by Romeo and Juliet. Instead of the play simply leaving the audience with a scene of two young people’s mortality in a static fashion, Merrill decided to have the characters engage in a kind of community dance that is unique to the village, communicating through movement that their love transcends into eternity.
Unlike the ‘two households’ in Romeo & Juliet who are in conflict, Hartt and Hartford Stage are a united force in their creative vision and the talents witnessed on and off stage. Romeo & Juliet runs through May 18 at Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford. For details, visit www.hartfordstage.com.