Romeo and Juliet Together (and Alive!) at Last

Eighth-graders Pete Saltz and Anabell Stackpoole are in love with each other, but terribly shy, so shy that they can’t even look at each other, let alone speak. To bring the two together, classmates Ed Sitrow, Lucy Neblet, Priscilla Black and others decide to stage a performance of Romeo and Juliet, with the reluctant Pete and Anabell voted into the title roles. Ed and Priscilla pen the abridged script, including passages their English teacher has encouraged them to underline, leaving out everything they don’t understand and imagining dream players speaking the lines to perfection. Lucy gamely tackles the direction of the real-life cast. But lack of expertise, only two weeks of rehearsal, a stage left over from the previous production and a classmate’s villainy threaten the well-meaning endeavor every step of the way. When the big day finally arrives, things cannot get worse! Yet, in spite of everything- or maybe because of it true love triumphs in the end!