Grace Arts FL Presents Romeo & Juliet La Tormenta

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

What if Florida was the backdrop for Romeo & Juliet and the Tempest-Two Shakespearean classics-where lost kingdoms, dangerous romance and real mystery abound? Imagine no more! Grace Arts Center is bringing this American odyssey alive through an original script adapted by Florida playwrights and a diverse cast of talented local actors.

During the Production Romeo & Juliet.. La Tormenta, audiences will be treated to folkloric dance and rarely heard traditional music by Afro-Cuban artists introduced through breathtaking images from acclaimed Iranian born Swede and South Florida resident Master Artist Karl Momen. Momen has painted a series of works inspired by William Shakespeare.

Artists **Karl Momen** and **Ruben Ubiera**

“In our production, Shakespeare’s adaptation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and his final original work ‘The Tempest’ are shared through the lens of Afro-Cuban music and dance in a fast paced drama based on real events happening in early Florida before the English colonies existed,” said Clare Vickery, Director, Grace Arts Center.

“Cuba has very complicated international historical ties with Florida going back centuries. Shakespeare is a platform to share and inspire a new generation of Americans, she added.”

“The early contact period between Europeans, but especially the Spanish, and Native Americans in South Florida was extremely important yet is widely unknown. It set the Native populations on the road to extinction, proved frustrating for the Spanish, as their missionary efforts met with little enduring success, and with the disappearance/ withdrawal of both of these peoples, assured the isolation and desolation of the region till the dawn of the twentieth century.” Dr. Paul George, Resident Historian for History Miami, ‘Romeo and Juliet La Tormenta.’

Join us April 27, 2018 at the NSU Art Museum Norma and William Horvitz Auditorium, Fort Lauderdale for a special promotional performance, reception and artist meet and greet. Then on May 4, 2018 head down to Miami for a Shakesperean experience like no other, at the beautiful Little Haiti Cultural Complex. Enjoy the full performance in two acts and a special live mural created to the music and drama unfolding on stage by Painter Ruben Ubiera. Tickets available on Eventbrite.

This is Shakespeare South Florida style! Fast paced drama from The Bard with Afro Cuban Dance, Music and Visual Art. Each performance will be different…Get your tickets today for either Fort Lauderdale or Miami engagements!!