Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Cast
Final Project
Mr. Kukainis—9th Grade English
After having read the text of Romeo & Juliet, as well as watching 2 different film
adaptations, it is now your turn to take the reins and make Romeo & Juliet into your
own vision.
We have spent a good deal of time discussing and writing about characters throughout
our studies, whether it be analyzing the nature of Mercutio’s comic relief, Romeo’s
hopeless romantic demeanor, or the wisdom of Friar Lawrence. We have seen these
characters in action before our eyes, and discussed how the actors portraying such
characters measured up to our original expectations. And now, you and your group will
be putting together your own cast of Romeo & Juliet.
In groups of 3 or 4 (no more than 4), put together your dream team of actors, actresses,
musicians, comedians, etc. to compile the cast of your own Romeo and Juliet. Be sure
to include pictures of your individuals (in color), short biographies on each (3-4
sentences), and—most importantly—a 6-8 sentence description on why your actor,
actress, musician, etc. is an ideal fit for the role you have assigned him/her. In
this paragraph, take into consideration your individual’s credits and
achievements, their looks, as well as the personality and actions of the
character they will be playing. In this paragraph, you must use at least 2 direct
references to the text (either a quote or action description) to support your
choice. Additionally, please include for each character one line of dialogue from the
text (along with the Act and Scene number) that you feel best represents their
personality (this is separate from the paragraph).
Your group will be required to present your project, with each member of your group
speaking about at least 1 character.
This project will require 2 poster-boards, one for each family. On these poster-boards
you will include the following:
 Name of Character
 Name of Actor, Musician, Etc.
 Picture of Actor, Musician, Etc.
 Short Biography of Actor, Musician, Etc.
 6-8 Sentence Explanatory Paragraph
 Line of Text
The characters you must cast are the following:
 House Montague—Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio, Friar Lawrence
 House Capulet—Juliet, Tybalt, Lady Capulet, Nurse
EXAMPLE (YOU MAY NOT USE THESE IN YOUR
PROJECT, SORRY…):
TYBALT
Played by Jeremy Renner
“Talk of peace? I hate the word as I hate hell.” (Act 1 Scene 1)
Bio: Jeremy Renner has seen his stardom rocket in the past 5-10 years, starring in such
movies as The Avengers, American Hustle, and The Bourne Legacy. While these
blockbusters serve him well, other films such as The Town and The Hurt Locker have
emphasized his rough and tough nature and his ability to steal the show when he plays a
minor character. Interestingly enough, this talented actor also studied computer science,
criminology and psychology in college, in addition to the theatre arts.
Paragraph: In The Town, Renner played a tough, vulgar, yet complicated criminal; in
The Avengers, he played, for a time, a hypnotized villain; in SWAT, he played a turncoat
villain. These three roles can fit perfectly into what Tybalt Capulet is: a tough and
merciless villain. He depicts no sympathy for others, despite their kind nature, and uses
his master sword-skills and confidence to his benefit, though it ultimately kills him in the
end. In films like The Town and SWAT, Renner played roles that included this
overconfidence that ultimately led to his death, making him a fitting choice for the role.
Tybalt once states in Act 1 Scene 5 that “the combination of forced patience and pure
rage is making my body tremble.” It is easy to imagine Renner’s stern look and facial
features, as seen in the photo, in the form of Tybalt. The ultimate example of Tybalt’s
nature is when he dismisses any affection Romeo shows, simply because of his last
name. In essence, Tybalt can be seen as pure evil in the text, just as Renner’s
character of “Hawkeye” in the Avengers is turned into evil, his eyes going dark and his
facial expression staying fixed in a determined and menacing look.
You will be graded on the following criteria (see rubric for more indepth grading explanations):
 Name of Character: 4 points
o (1/2 pt per character)
 Name of Real Life Individual: 4 points
o (1/2 pt per character)
 Color Picture of Real Life Individual: 4 points
o (1/2 pt per character)
 Line from Text: 16 points
o (2 pts per character)
 Short Biography on Individual: 16 points
o (2 pts per character)
 6-8 Sentence Explanatory Paragraph: 40 points
o (5 pts per character)
 Creativity: 16 points
 Presentation: 20 points
 TOTAL: 120 points