Blinn theatre arts to stage 'Romeo and Juliet'

Shakespearean tragedy will be Blinn's entry into statewide play festival

February 5, 2026

A classic tragedy by William Shakespeare will be the next production of the Blinn College District Theatre Arts Program on the Brenham Campus.

“Romeo and Juliet,” Shakespeare’s love story about the Capulets and the Montagues, will be staged Feb. 19 and 20 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 21 and 22 at 2 p.m. School preview performances are Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

All performances will be held at the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center, 600 Blinn Boulevard. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for Blinn students and children. They are available online at www.blinn.edu/boxoffice, by calling 979-830-4024, or emailing boxoffice@blinn.edu.

“Romeo and Juliet” will be Blinn’s entry into the 2026 Texas Community College Speech and Theatre Association Play Festival that will be held Feb. 25-28 at Panola College.

“We are thrilled to be reviving William Shakespeare’s touching tragedy about a forbidden love that is undone by societal hatred, cruel fate, and the impulsive nature of the play’s characters,” said Brad Nies, Theatre Arts Director, who will direct the play. “This work serves as an enduring symbol of passionate romance.”

In the play, the Capulets and Montagues have been embroiled in a bloody fight for generations. When young Romeo Montague “crashes” a party held by the Capulets, he falls in love with Juliet Capulet, triggering a tragic chain of events.

Cast members are Jaden Mertz, Romeo; Annabelle Chisum, Juliet; Aidan Johnson, Lord Montague; Ace Burns, Benvolio; Tevin Simmons, Balthasar; Ivory Lasker, Friar Lawrence; Ryan Kendall, Lord Capulet; Joyous Feagins, Lady Capulet; Michael Silgero, Tybalt; Jude Netanel, Nurse; Paige Stewart, Sampson; Lasker, Gregory; Ethan Mugambi, Escalus; and Keylan Richardson, Mercutio.

Crew members are Ayla Witt, stage manager/properties; Lanna Solomon, assistant sound and board operator; Michael Silgero, costume coordinator; Stewart, makeup design; Johnson, assistant set design and scenic artist; and Micah Horvath, Brenham-only crew.

Jennifer Patrick, Theatre Arts Instructor, will serve as costume, makeup, choreography, and hair designer. Kevin Patrick, Technical Theatre Arts Director, will be technical director, with former Blinn theatre arts major Casey Prowell as fight choreographer.

“The Boys Next Door” will be the Theatre Arts Program’s final production of the 2025-26 school year. It will be staged at 7 p.m. on April 16 and 17, and 2 p.m. on April 18 and 19 (preview performances are April 16 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.).

The program’s 10-Minute Play Festival will be held March 27 at 7 p.m. and March 28 at 2 p.m. Area high school students will submit original 10-minute plays designed to inspire, enlighten, and entertain audiences.

Blinn’s Theatre Arts Program cultivates a quality educational foundation of study, application, and experience through a wide range of performance, technical, and production studies. Its Associate of Arts degree plan integrates artistic, technical, and academic disciplines of theatre from the classroom to the stage. Students have an opportunity to audition for a variety of performances related to drama and theatre, and are prepared to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu/theatre.