Duffy Donovan is a junior at Shepard High School who loves theater. At just 16, Donovan has landed the role of a lifetime—playing Juliet in the school’s first-ever outdoor performance of Romeo & Juliet. The outdoor setting was a requirement due to the ongoing renovation of the school’s Fine Arts Center.
With Shepard High School’s Fine Arts Center undergoing a $7.5 million renovation, the school was forced to host its first-ever outdoor theater production—a rendition of Romeo & Juliet.
While the outdoor setting brought unique challenges, from unpredictable weather to building makeshift sets, it also offered fresh opportunities for students to embrace Shakespeare’s work in an innovative way. The performance showcases the dedication of students, staff, and construction crews as they balance the ongoing project with the school’s vibrant arts program.
“Something I like about Romeo and Juliet is the fact that we’ve been outside so much,” Donovan, 16, of Crestwood, said.
“I also love to play a nervous little teenage girl and being able to channel all my energy into that. Something that’s been challenging about being outside is having so many new distractions we’ve never had to deal with before, but I also think it allowed for a more open space for cast members to breathe and get out some internal energy.”
Work on the theater renovation began in May 2024, with an anticipated completion date of August 2025.
When completed, the theater will feature a fully renovated auditorium, seating for an additional 360 guests including balcony seating, expanded storage, a prop shop, and new dressing rooms for students. Until then, however, the outdoor setting at Shepard High School is serving as a makeshift theater.
“One of my favorite things about being outside is that it’s a different experience, and it’s kind of cool to have a change of scenery and to see how different things go together—like I once saw this area as just grass, but now it’s a whole city of Verona,” said Shepard sophomore Erika Byrdak, 15, of Alsip, who plays Lady Montague in the production.
As Byrdak noted, the school had the unique opportunity to immerse the audience in the world of Verona. With the outdoor setting, cast members constructed three separate structures to represent the town, the Capulet mansion, and the Montague estate.
Because of the outdoor nature of the production, students have been rehearsing and building the set since June. There are 19 students in the cast, and more than 20 students have contributed to the construction crew. During the summer, rehearsals were held twice a month, and since the school year began, the cast has been practicing daily.
“A play outdoors is certainly a challenging feat,” said Emma Lizzio, Shepard’s activities director. “We’ve battled heat, humidity, and rain over the last few months.”
Lizzio directed the play, alongside Dennis Ptacek, who served as the technical director. This marks Lizzio’s fourth year teaching at Shepard and her third year directing the fall play, though it’s her first outdoor production.
“I love how hard the students are working to learn the language and to bring out the comedic lines,” Lizzio said. “Even though the show is a tragedy, there is so much comedy built into a lot of the scenes, and it’s been really fun seeing the actors learn Shakespeare’s humor. I have also loved choreographing the sword fights with the students. So many of them have added their own flair to the fights and truly made them their own. I am so proud of how far the students have come.”
The show took place on Thursday, Sept. 26, Friday, Sept. 27, and Saturday, Sept. 28.
To wrap up the event, the cast also hosted a “Picnic in the Park” fundraiser on Sept. 28, where attendees were treated to performances of Shakespeare’s famous sonnets. All proceeds are set to go toward future productions, including costumes, sets, props, T-shirts, and tech week dinners.