Assistant Professor of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies Diego Villada was invited to choreograph violence and intimacy for the play "Clyde's" by Lynn Nottage and William Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet" at the University of Evansville (UE) in Evansville, Indiana.
THE STORY: In "Clyde's," a truck stop sandwich shop offers its formerly incarcerated kitchen staff a shot at redemption. Even as the shop’s callous owner tries to keep them down, the staff members learn to reclaim their lives, find purpose and become inspired to dream by their shared quest to create the perfect sandwich.
In fair Verona, an age-old feud between two powerful families erupts in bloodshed, and a group of masked party-crashers push the envelope, setting in motion a story, of both sweeping romance and heartbreaking tragedy. Considered one of Shakespeare's best plays, the chaos and passion of being in love is juxtaposed with the obstacles and limitations that an “ancient grudge” places upon the young lovers. Our star-crossed teens, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, make both reckless and feckless choices about who to trust and discover the fruits of their “forbidden” love are not sweet at all. “For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”
ABOUT THE COMPANY: The Department of Theatre's admission process uses a highly-selective recruitment approach to seek out students with exceptional talent and outstanding academic ability. The result is an extremely-motivated group of creative young artists with serious attitudes toward a challenging academic environment. UE Theatre's productions provide purposeful experiences tailored to challenge and cultivate growth in an individual student's path as a theatre artist. For nearly 50 years, UE productions have garnered recognition and awards on a local, regional and national level.
