Meet the Cast of R&J: Amanda Noriko Newman as Benvolio
Please introduce yourself! Who are you playing in R&J?
Hi! I'm Amanda, and I play Benvolio.
Please give us a brief summary of the play FROM YOUR CHARACTER'S POINT OF VIEW.
I've been only half-joking that this play, from my point of view, should be called Benvolio and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Or by the end of the play, it's that book with the dinosaur, All My Friends Are Dead. Every choice Benvolio makes is to cheer up or protect his friends, and everything just goes very very wrong.
Tell us a bit about your history with Shakespeare and the Porters.
This is my first Porters show, but I've been Porters-adjacent for a while now! I studied Shakespeare in London for my study abroad in college, and have loved performing it since then. I've been in many productions of Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Macbeth, and other plays with various companies throughout the years.
R&J may be the most famous play ever written. What surprised you about working on it? Did you have any assumptions about the play or the characters that you discovered were wrong?
This may sound self-centered, but my biggest discovery is just about Benvolio. I actually never realized how bad things fell out for him. In a single day, one of his best friends is killed, and his other best friend is sent away from Verona forever. It feels very Remus Lupin losing Sirius Black and James Potter in a single night in Harry Potter. Or more accurately, Remus Lupin feels very Benvolio, since, you know…R&J happened first.
What's your favorite quote (or two)?
Obviously, the entire play is full of stunning imagery and iconic lines. Mercutio's "Queen Mab" speech and Juliet's "Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds…" have been longtime favorites of mine. For just a little moment, I love Juliet's line:
How art thou out of breath when thou hast breath To say to me that thou art out of breath?
It's just such a smart retort, and it always makes me laugh.
And finally, where can we learn more about you and what you're up to?
My instagram is amanda_noriko, yay!
Romeo and Juliet opens this weekend! Tickets HERE!