By Ella Meis
OMAHA, Neb. — The classic balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet usually happens at a safe distance behind a proscenium arch. But at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s upcoming production, that distance is disappearing, leaving the technical crew to build a world that is as sturdy as it is poetic.
Inside the Weber Fine Arts building, the traditional tools of theater are being swapped for heavy-duty construction gear. Stage Carpenter Barb Spicka and her team are currently manifesting the play’s famous “divide” through a massive, physical representation of a river that cuts through the set.
Spicka says the design, inspired by Scenic Designer Adam Witridge, aims to turn the metaphorical feud between the Montagues and Capulets into something the audience can actually see and touch.
“It’s a very interesting effect to have that physical representation of this divide between all these people in the city,” Spicka said.
However, “touching” the set introduces a major technical hurdle: safety. One of the production’s central pieces is a “hexagon” platform standing 54 inches off the ground. Because the show is immersive, traditional guardrails were left off the blueprints to keep the sightlines clear.
To compensate, Spicka has had to focus on the “internal bones” of the structure. The goal is to ensure the platform remains rock-solid, even as actors and audience members share the same elevated space.
The challenge doesn’t stop once the sawdust is swept away. For Assistant Stage Manager Analee Wilson, the real work begins when the house lights go down. In a “Black Box” environment where the audience is standing on the floor, the logistics of a fast-paced show become unpredictable.
“It’s very, very strange being so close to the audience,” Wilson said, noting that managing props and actor entrances becomes a high-wire act when a spectator could be standing exactly where a Montague needs to land.
While the technical demands are higher than a standard production, Wilson says the payoff comes when the “chaos” finally clicks.
“It’s really cool to just see it all come together… with lighting and sound and it all feels like an actual show,” Wilson said.
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