Romeo and Juliet in the Age of Big Box Retailers

Store Wars, the feature-length comedic debut by local playwright Carl Nowakowski, is a socially commentating adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Two "star-crossed lovers," two violently feuding parties, and countless peace-disturbing public brawlsÖsound familiar? Think again! From the minds that brought you the dramatically intense Behind Blue Eyes and the tragically funny Late Night Shenanigans with Ryan and Carl, comes the comedic warp of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Store Wars pokes fun at the Fortune-500 rivalry between Wal-Mart and K-Mart when Romeo, a confident, yet love-spurned Wal-Mart cashier falls head over heels for Juliet, a forbidden red-vested K-Mart associate. Romeo and Juliet rely on their dysfunctional colleagues to fend off the slights of arrogant ex-boyfriends, unjust company policies, and brutal "merchant-duels." This social commentary of big-box retailers will have you laughing and crying while it reveals a back-shelf vulnerability of our familiar discount stores. So join Romeo, Juliet, and company as they struggle to prove love can survive in the vicious world of economy-sized drama.

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