The Two Gentlemen of Verona

The play, perhaps Shakespeare’s earliest, focuses on Valentine and Proteus, lifelong friends who are unexpectedly thrust into the rivalries and complications of adolescence. When both fall in love with the Duke of Milan’s daughter, Silvia, the cunning Proteus betrays his friend. Will the banished Valentine find his home in the woods, amongst the outlaws? And what of Julia, Proteus’ first love, who comes to court disguised as a boy? What happens when a group of youths is left without parents to guide them through life’s journey? PJ Paparelli, “one of the most exciting talents working in Washington” (The Washington Post), will direct this formative play of hidden identities and shapeshifting selves.