Romeo, a devoted Husky, and Juliet, a loving Cougar, shall overcome a bitter hometown rivalry and find love this evening

Carrying the title “Excerpts from Shakespeare and More,” the dinner theatre of the arts consists of stage read Shakespearean monologues and short scenes. The stage, props and costumes will remain simple to focus more on the scenes.

The actors are community members and students of Spokane Falls Community College, Pullman Campus. The performances include a children’s portion with ballerinas and the monologues and short scenes by adults. Birch & Barley will cater the buffet-style dinner between performances.

“I figured it was Valentine’s theme, with varying degrees of love,” said Sharon Trautwein, event director and theater outreach coordinator. “I chose scenes that tell the story within the scene itself.”

These varying degrees of love include the dark love of Lady Macbeth, the longing of Helena in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and the condescending love of Petruchio and Kate in “The Taming of the Shrew.”

The classic balcony scene from “Romeo and Juliet” will make an appearance as an adaptation of two college students, one from WSU and the other from UW. Cora Kline, who plays Juliet, said the variation adds hometown humor as a twist to a very well-known scene.

“We wanted to put a complete spin on it,” said Chuck Paul, a Spokane Falls freshman who plays Romeo. “Being that we wanted to keep it romantic, we felt as if changing what we did in the show keeps the same image but also adds a little more humor than most people would find.”

Among the staff and actors are volunteers from Eta Sigma Delta, ballerinas from Graham Ballet Theater, and Montessori School students, who will perform an excerpt of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“I think it’s a collaboration between people who spend a lot of time together in Gladish. It’s a way for all the different groups to pull together for a single purpose,” said Beverley Wolff, Montessori School director who plays Lady Macbeth.

Proceeds of the show will go toward Spokane Falls’ performing arts program and the Gladish Cultural and Community Center. The building, formerly the Pullman High School, now stands as a place to enhance the quality of life for all ages with the programs offered.

Such programs include recreational classes, a childcare center, and the Montessori School. The building also has six event rooms for various occasions like the Shakespeare dinner theatre. This is the first time Gladish has worked with Spokane Falls.

“I’ve been told this is something the community members wanted, and I was glad to do it,” Gladish Director Donna Gwinn said. “I would love for students to get fired up for this event.”

Among the challenges, the most difficult is the stage reading component of the show. The actors will have the script in front of them, but they must also think about their blocking and movement across their stage.

“I’ve been doing theater for years and I’ve never done stage reading before,” Kline said. “It’s harder than actual acting.”

However, the actors and volunteers tell audiences to expect good food and family friendly Shakespeare for a night of wit, romance and a bit of comedy.

The event will begin tonight at 7 p.m. in the Gladish View Room.