Seuss Meets Shakespeare: TWO to present youth show 'The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet' (2025)

Children’s literature and Shakespearean tragedy will combine forces this weekend on Theatre Workshop of Owensboro’s Trinity Centre stage as the nonprofit performing arts entity will present its youth production “The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet.”

The comedy’s opening night will take place at 7 p.m. today, March 14, followed by two additional showings at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Written by playwright Peter Bloedel, the show is described as “a whimsical reinvention of Shakespeare’s tragic love story, complete with rhymed couplets, creative wordplay, and fantastical machines — similar to something Dr. Seuss might have come up with if he ever had his way with the script,” according to New York City-based distributing, licensing and publishing company Playscripts, Inc.

“ ‘The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet’ really takes two of my favorite authors — William Shakespeare and Dr. Seuss — and really takes something not harder for people to understand, but kind of in line with part of the script, (that) Shakespeare’s great but it’s so long. It’s so long-winded, people get bored with it,” said Dillon Schueler, director of TWO’s production. “It really takes the charm of Dr. Seuss and applies it to that classic love story.

“It really makes it something that not just parents will recognize or grandparents will recognize,” Schueler said. “It’s something that kids can kind of interpret, and understand better and get an idea for it.”

Schueler, who has been in the director’s chair for his first full-length production alongside assistant director Lily Howard — which is made up of youth between the ages of 11 to 16 — decided to take on the task in an effort to expand his theatrical experiences.

“I got started in theatre back in middle school and just always enjoyed the stage, always enjoyed theatre, always had great directors …,” he said. “... I’ve always kind of liked the idea of, ‘You know, maybe I want to try my hand at directing shows at some point.’

“ ‘... I can act, but let’s see what the directing side is like and actually (bring) something to life,’ ” Schueler said.

Brother and sister Dylan O’Bryan and Madison O’Bryan portray Lord Capitulate and Juliet, respectively.

For 14-year-old Madison O’Bryan, she knew “little to nothing” about the original Shakespeare story.

“I knew the main concept about the families always fighting and these two (people) who fell in love,” she said. “I did a lot of research whenever the auditions were put out for this (production) and was like, ‘I really want to do this.’ ”

After being cast as one of the two leads, Madison O’Bryan took time to look up other people who’ve portrayed the role before while studying the original story and more.

“I took little bits and pieces from other actors who have played Juliet, and I also looked up how actors in this actual play have played her,” she said. “... I took a little bit of everything from all across the spectrum.”

She finds Juliet in this specific production to be “very sassy.”

“She’s very bossy. There’s a scene where (Juliet) is talking to (her) mom (and goes), ‘I don’t know you. I don’t like you,’ ” Madison O’Bryan said.

Like his sister, 12-year-old Dylan O’Bryan knew “very little” about the storyline, but felt he grew into his role throughout the rehearsal process.

“I think my character is very forgetful, (but) he’s rich so he has a little (bit) of confidence,” he said.

Dylan O’Bryan, who has worked with his sister before, said he found being in the show together has been a good way for the two to bond.

“I think it’s been a great experience,” he said. “Whenever we go home, we can practice lines. We’ve done that before where we read each other’s lines.”

“It’s definitely very helpful when it comes to needing somebody to lean off of,” Madison O’Bryan added. “We’re there for each other ….”

For Maggie Fleischmann, who will be pulling double duty playing Gregory and The Prince, this show will mark the 13-year-old’s theatrical debut.

“I watched a show my friend was in and I really liked it, and I thought: ‘Well, what if I do theatre if she’s doing theatre and she might audition for this?’ ” Fleischmann said of deciding to try out.

And it seems that Fleischmann has enjoyed this new venture.

“... It’s been really fun because I’ve made friends and stuff, and we got free snacks — I mean, come on,” Fleischmann chuckled. “... We’ve had fun times at rehearsals (and) moments where we laugh a lot ….”

Schueler said having the opportunity to direct has been nothing short of positive.

“I’ve fallen in love with it,” he said. “It’s so great to see the kids carry that same energy and light up as much as I did when I started doing theatre.”

Schueler feels the production will appeal to a wide range of generations.

“... It’s an opportunity to come enjoy a classic, but to sit back and relax and kind of let your mind wonder because the way I’ve directed it, the way we’ve put it together, the costuming, the lighting, the set and everything — it’s going to leave a fair amount to the imagination to kind of sit and reflect,” he said “You’re going to have parents (and) grandparents sitting there like: ‘Oh, I know this (part),’ but the bright colors, the energy is going to be attracting to the children that come and see it.”

“... From the minute you step in the theater and sit down to the time you leave for that hour and 15 minute-time period, there’s going to be a lot of laughter,” Schueler said.

“The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet” is sponsored by the Daviess County Teachers Federal Credit Union with support from the B.J. Killian Foundation.

TWO’s 2024-25 performance season is sponsored by Owensboro Health.

Tickets can be purchased by calling TWO’s box office at 270-683-5333 and online at theatreworkshop.org.