Condola Rashad & Orlando Bloom Portray Biracial Romeo & Juliet
Everyone puts their own little twist on the famed Shakespearean play Romeo & Juliet.
David Leveaux is “mixing” up his cast by deeming Condola Rashad & Orlando Bloom in the lead roles.
The selections make for the first nationally recognized biracial production of the play.
Their casting added an intriguing element of racial contrast to the classic tale of two star-crossed lovers and Leveaux decided to take it to its logical conclusion: the Capulets will be played by black actors and the Montagues by white actors. “While it is an interracial ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ that’s not actually something we’re hammering out,” Rashad says. “It’s not about making it invisible. It’s there. Use it! But that’s actually not the core of the fight.”
Leveaux selected the two after discovering their natural chemistry on and off stage.
Rashad is the daughter of famed actress Felicia Rashad. Orlando Bloom is best known for his roles in “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogies.
The production is currently running on Broadway through January 4.
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