With minds ready to learn, five students stepped into the world of professional theater recently, taking the next leap toward fulfilling their dreams.
Five undergraduates at Harvard University were given the opportunity to work on the American Repertory Theater’s production of “Romeo and Juliet,” paving their way to becoming the future of the entertainment industry.
“Romeo and Juliet” ran from Aug. 31, 2024, to Oct. 6, 2024. This innovative version of Shakespeare’s work had many A.R.T veterans working on it, led by Tony Award winner and A.R.T. artistic director Diane Paulus. But the team was not limited to the big names in the theater.
“They always say at Harvard that Harvard will be a transformative experience,” stated Quadree (Dree) Palimore, a directing/dramaturgy intern on the show. “For me, [“Romeo and Juliet”] was that transformative experience.”
Palimore (Harvard ’26) worked alongside fellow interns Teddy Tsui-Rosen (’25, sound/stage management), Elizabeth Resner (’25, stage management), Bernardo Sequeira (’26, acting), and Michael Torto (’25, acting).
Each intern had a unique path that led them to ultimately working on “Romeo and Juliet” together. Resner was involved in the Harvard-Radcliffe Drama Club, giving her a clear idea of the role she would take on for the internship, while Palimore had never been involved in any organized production.
To get the role as acting interns, both Torto and Sequeira went through an extensive audition process. After their initial audition, they were called back to perform other scenes from the play. They would then receive feedback and were expected to adjust their performance for the next callback.
Palimore and Resner, along with Tsui-Rosen, applied for their spots traditionally. The application included a resume, short essay, and interview. Their applications stood out from the rest, earning them their internships in a competitive process.
Rehearsals started in July, where they operated Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The team spent three weeks in New York City before coming back to Massachusetts to spend a week and a half in Boston and Cambridge leading to the show’s opening.
Resner shared that they would work with Paulus to stand in as actors and block upcoming scenes to prepare for the next day. This was atypical for the role, but it allowed them to gain a lot more first-hand experience in areas outside of their respective jobs.
Torto had previously been involved with acting in high school, but being in the professional setting with a real-life production happening and unfolding before him deepened his passion for the art.
“It left me in awe,” he expressed.
As the understudy for Sampson, the Capulet guard, Torto looked forward to going to the internship every day to observe and rehearse. He was able to see other actors pour their hearts into their work and use their background to develop the characters. He then utilized what he witnessed to improve his own craft.
“Being able to use my voice and my body and my emotions to tell one singular story and have one objective is one of the most powerful forms of expression I could think of,” he said.
Torto’s experience working on “Romeo and Juliet” revealed to him that it was his true calling to become an actor. He now has a talent manager and is seeking to further his career opportunities after college.
“Acting has always been my passion and it was just a matter of finding out the avenues to get into the industry,” he stated.
Observing the creative process of theater professionals and gaining first-hand experience also helped Palimore navigate his own work and understand what makes an effective production. He then incorporated what he had learned daily into a musical he has been crafting for his senior thesis.
Palimore is interested in a career in the performing arts, however that may come about in his future. He is currently taking a gap year to focus on bringing his musical, “Abolitionists,” to life before his years at Harvard come to an end. “Abolitionists” takes place in the United States around the time of the Civil War, from 1838 to 1865. The musical follows the life of 20-year-old Frederick Douglass after escaping slavery and finding his way into the abolitionist movement.
Resner was captivated by the entire production process of “Romeo and Juliet,” describing it with words such as “energetic” and “effusive.” She felt that every day of rehearsals was like watching a new play as pieces of it evolved. The way every detail was attended to with such care was nothing short of inspiring to her. The ability to see the behind-the-scenes operation made her realize how a production comes to life.
“There’s a lot of value to the skills of working with a team, being attuned to people’s emotions, and just understanding how a different workforce operates,” Resner stated. “And I also know, like, all of the lines in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ now, so that’s kind of a fun party trick.”
–Dec. 15, 2024–
