PROLOGUE
Triptych
Romeo Lorenzo Juliet
ACT I
Scene I
А square in Verona. Quiet hour of dawn. Romeo, the son of old Montague, wanders the deserted streets alone.
Three servants leave the rich Capulet house and head to the tavern to flirt with the maids. The servants of Montague, the Capulets' sworn enemy, appear in the square. The Capulet servants begin to quarrel with them, the quarrel turns into a hand-to-hand combat, and the opponents draw their swords. Benvolio, a relative of Montague, and Capulet’s nephew Tybalt enter the fray.
Paris, who came to Verona to ask for the hand of Capulet's daughter, the young Juliet, finds himself in the square in the midst of a battle. The old Montague himself and the hated Capulet, raising their heavy swords, charge ats one another.
Disturbing sounds of an alarm bell are heard over the city. Crowds of townspeople rush to the square.
Only the appearance of the Duke of Verona stops the fighters. The Duke's attendant reads a decree to the people - under pain of death, no one dares to draw a weapon on the streets of Verona.
Stage front. At the Capulet the gala ball is prepared. The Nurse hurries to Juliet, carefully carrying an elegant dress. On the way, she manages to scold the servants who stole a pot of a festive dish from the kitchen.
Scene II
Juliet will not let the nurse dress her for the feast: laughing merrily, she hides from her in the corners of the room, which is interrupted by her mother. She brought news to her daughter - Paris asks for Juliet’s hand in marriage.
Stage front. The final preparations for the celebration are being completed. Servants carry heavy dishes and jugs of wine.
Scene III
Rich guests solemnly enter the Capulet palace. The noblest people of Verona are coming in, followed by Juliet's friends accompanied by troubadours. Paris and his Page bring up the rear of the procession.
Stage front. Hearing the sounds of music, Mercutio - Romeo's friend - and Benvolio, quick to play all sorts of pranks, decide to secretly sneak into the Capulet festival and persuade Romeo to join them.
Scene IV
Romeo and his friends find themselves in the Capulet palace in the midst of fun. Important nobles, young girls, and troubadours watch Juliet dance. Taking advantage of the fact that Mercutio has distracted the attention of the guests from him, Romeo approaches Juliet and speaks of his admiration for her. The mask falls off his face. Now Juliet cannot take her eyes off the stranger’s beautiful face. But Romeo and his friends are forced to leave. Tybalt has recognized them and hurries to tell old Capulet about it.
Stage front. Only late in the evening, when the guests have already left the Capulet house, Juliet learns from the Nurse the name of the young man who captivated her. This is Romeo, the son of their enemy Montague.
Scene V
At night, Juliet goes out onto the balcony, dreaming of the handsome young man. In the garden, she notices Romeo in the silver moonlight. He could not help but come to her... That evening they tell each other about their love for the first time.
ACT II
Scene I
The square is crowded. People are having fun. Today there is a big holiday in the city. The tavern owner is treating numerous visitors, he is exhausted.
Juliet's Nurse makes her way through the crowd, looking for Romeo to give him a note.
Stage front. Romeo enthusiastically clutches the letter he received to his chest - Juliet has agreed to become his wife.
Scene II
In a gloomy cell beautiful white flowers lie on the table next to a skull, reminiscent of the frailty of all earthly joys. Father Lorenzo performs a secret betrothal ceremony for Romeo and Juliet. He hopes that this marriage will break the centuries-old enmity between the two families.
Stage front. Meanwhile, in a festive procession behind the statue of the Madonna, the people of Verona go to the square. Here are the archnemeses, the Montagues and the Capulets. Mercutio buys a basket of fruit from a merchant and generously gives the fruit to his friends.
Tybalt brutally deals with an old peddler who hit one of his lady companions with his tray.
Scene III
A terrible misfortune befell Juliet. Having met Mercutio and Romeo in the square, the arrogant Tybalt treacherously killed Mercutio. Tybalt himself fell in a duel at the hands of Romeo, who was forced to avenge the death of his friend. The Duke condemned the young Montague to eternal exile from Verona.
ACT III
Scene I
The next morning finds Romeo in Juliet's room. But it’s time for Romeo to leave, the house is starting to wake up. As soon as Romeo runs away, having embraced Juliet for the last time, enter Juliet’s parents, the Nurse, and Paris, the one who is destined for Juliet’s husband. But Juliet receives her husband-to-be so coldly that the upset Paris has to leave. The parents' anger falls on Juliet. Her father threatens to kick her out of the house.
Stage front. Juliet runs to Lorenzo in despair.
Scene II
Juliet begs her spiritual father for help. She is ready to stab herself, but Lorenzo hastily takes the blade from her. There is a way to avoid the loathsome wedding. Lorenzo hands Juliet a bottle of soporific potion. She will drink it and fall asleep. The parents, considering their daughter dead, will bury her in the family crypt. And Romeo, informed by Lorenzo, will return at night and take Juliet far from Verona.
Scene III
Last night Juliet had agreed to the wedding with Paris. In the next morning the bride’s parents, her friends, the troubadours and the happy groom came to congratulate Juliet, but they found her motionless, stretched out on the bed.
Scene IV
The rumor about the death of the Capulet's daughter instantly spread throughout the city. Romeo's servant brought this sad news to the distant Mantua, where Romeo was whiling away the dreary days of exile. Shocked by grief, young Montague hurries to Verona.The messenger from Lorenzo arrives too late.
Scene V
All of Verona has come to the Capulet family crypt for Juliet's funeral. When everyone leaves, Romeo enters the crypt. Without taking his eyes off Juliet's beautiful face, he drinks poison and falls onto the steps of the tomb. Juliet awakens and finds Romeo dead. She doesn’t need life without her beloved and, without hesitating for a minute, she ends it with a stab of a dagger.
EPILOGUE
Old Montague and old Capulet stretch out their hands to each other over the bodies of their children. Love has turned out to be stronger than the enmity of the two noble families of Verona.
