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If You’re Going ...

•‘Romeo and Juliet’ will be staged today and tomorrow, and Feb. 24, 25 and 26 at the Youngstown Playhouse, 600 Playhouse Lane, Youngstown.
•Friday and Saturday showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Sunday shows start at 2:30 p.m.
•For tickets, call (330) 788-8739.

Related Photos

  • Dylan White plays Romeo and 17-year-old Corina Dougherty of New Castle portrays Juliet in the Youngstown Playhouse production of ‘Romeo and Juliet.’

    Corina_1.jpg

  • Corina Dougherty, 17, of New Castle is playing Juliet in the Youngstown Playhouse production of ‘Romeo and Juliet.’

    Corina_2.jpg

Discussion

February 18, 2012

Local teen tackles first Shakespearean role as Juliet

Sam Luptak Jr. New Castle News

NEW CASTLE — Though she’s only 17, Corina Dougherty is playing the role of a lifetime.

The New Castle resident and junior at Lincoln Park Performing Arts School is playing the female lead in Shakepeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” at the Youngstown Playhouse.

“Right now it’s all a bit overwhelming,” said the veteran of both the Lincoln Park and New Castle Playhouse stages. “It’s scary, but an absolutely amazing experience.

“Just think, last year was the first time I had had any significant lines in a show. This year, I’m Juliet.”

She adds that while the play’s ending is tragic, most of it actually is  “a happy-go-lucky love story.”

For Dougherty, theater is a love, a passion and a way of life — and she is joined on stage by actors who take it just as seriously. The cast is peopled with a virtual who’s-who of community theater all-stars from across the New Castle/ Youngstown spectrum, and the show is being directed by professional Shakespearean director and expert, Terry Burgler.

Burgler is the founder and director of the Ohio Shakespeare Festival held each summer in Akron. He is renowned worldwide for his Shakespearean expertise, having directed and performed the works of The Bard across the country and around the world, including performances at London’s Globe Theatre, which Shakespeare himself founded.

Dougherty says having the opportunity to work with Burgler is a big part of what has made this experience so special.

“Terry is absolutely amazing,” she said. “I am learning so much from him. He is helping me improve my acting so much. He is very particular.

“But that is why he creates such a great show. He is very professional and he knows how Shakespeare should be done.”

Getting involved in a Burgler production is not a short or simple process. The show initially auditioned in late August. Callbacks followed for weeks until a final cast list was announced in early December. Rehearsals began the week before New Year’s.

According to Dougherty, the first few weeks were spent simply reading the script aloud over and over again to help the cast fully understand the language of the play.

“For the last three weeks, I haven’t had a single day off,” Dougherty said.

With some of those rehearsal days stretching to 10 or 11 hours, she admits she is very tired, but she’s not complaining.

“There is nothing I would rather be doing — I mean, I am playing Juliet,” she said with a wide grin. “That makes all the stress, and the lack of sleep, all worth it.

“This has been a great experience. I’m so glad this is my first (Shakespeare play).”

Another thing that makes the show special for Dougherty is that she shares the stage with her father, Dave. This is not the first time they have been on stage together, but each time is important for Corina.

“He got involved in theater because of me, but now he loves it as much as I do,” she said. “I’m glad we share the same passion. When it comes to theater, my dad and I are glued at the hip.”

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