West Side Story is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, set in 1950s Manhattan, where two rival gangs, The Sharks and The Jets, do everything they can to keep lovebirds, Tony and Maria, apart.
The sweet and naiive Maria is played by Amanda Indovina, who says this isn't her first time in this role; the psychology undergrad also took part in a high school production of West Side Story. She notes that her favourite part of being in the show is "the adrenaline of being on stage."
Alex Morrow, an English major at U of T plays Tony, the boy "looking for something more." Morrow looks forward to performing his favourite scene, "right after the rumble, where Tony dies in Maria's arms."
Director Shak Haq encourages people come to the show and see "the amazing talent that the students from [U of T] have to offer."
St. Michael's College's production of West Side Story runs from November 26 - 28 at Betty Oliphant Theatre (404 Jarvis St.) Tickets are $15/$12 students, and can be purchased at www.uofttix.ca.
