The alternative: ‘Romeo and Juliet’ coming to York on Super Bowl Sunday

If a match-up of epic proportions between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers just doesn’t do it for you, there’s always the Capulets and the Montagues.

A special presentation of Romeo and Juliet, filmed before a live audience at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, will be shown at York University on Sunday afternoon. It’s a different kind of grudge match than the Super Bowl, but equally dramatic and football fans will still have time to make it home after the screening to see the game.

Deanne Williams, a professor of English in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies at York, will introduce the film. A scholar of Medieval and Renaissance literature, and of Shakespeare in particular, Williams also studies the adaptation of Shakespeare by contemporary novelists and filmmakers such as Rohinton Mistry and Roman Polanski. She promises a “take” on Romeo and Juliet that ensures viewers will never view the tragic story the same way again.

The event is organized by York Circle, a program that offers York students, alumni and members of the public an opportunity to hear leading York faculty speak about their ideas and their research. The York Circle’s Prestigious Performance series showcases world class concerts, theatre, opera and ballet, presented in high definition video, with introductions by some of these professors.

To order tickets, visit the York Circle website or call 416-736-5020..