This Thursday and Friday, the Shackouls Honor College will present “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet,” based on the work of William Shakespeare in Griffis Hall at 7 p.m. 

Performance Developer Eric Vivier and Performance Director, Donna L. Clevinger, began auditions in November. Those who were cast were able to pick up their scripts in December before Christmas break and rehearsals began the first day students started the spring semester.

The play, which is free to all Mississippi State students, begins in the 1st floor of Griffis Hall. However, when the scene changes, so will the floor. The cast will use all of the community spaces in Griffis, therefore, needing a mobile audience. 

Sarah Childers, senior Shackouls honor college member, will star in the play as Lady Capulet. 

“I’ve always been a part of comedies and since this is a tragedy, I feel like I’m in a whole different ball park,” Childers said. 

Other cast members include Rebekah Comer, freshman secondary education major, Jacob Istre, undeclared freshman and Mark Ewing, senior electrical engineering major. Comer will star as the Nurse, Istre as Benvolio and Ewing as Fryer.

Ewing was also in a play presented by the Honors College his freshman year, but this will be his first performance with Clevinger as the director. 

“It’s fun to see a group as goofy as we are participating in a tragedy, such as Romeo and Juliet,” Ewing said. “I’m excited to see how it turns out.”

Clevinger, a professor in the Department of Communication, had nothing but positive things to say about the cast and their progress.

“This is a wonderful, hardworking cast, with great chemistry,” she said. “All students and even adults, should come to the performance to see their chemistry at work.”