THE WEEK OF AUGUST 7, 2003
Film Shakespearean Tragedy
On Ridgewood, Glendale Streets
Romeo and Juliet In The ’Hood

by Rob MacKay
Murder, racism and tragedy have been playing in Glendale and Ridgewood this summer. And the violence and hatred will continue on until two native sons finish shooting their modern-day version of Romeo and Juliet on local streets.
A Glendale Italian-American (played by Kevin Brian Wright) weeps for his dying Latina lover from Corona (Kerri Pagliarini) in a scene from Julianna and her Romeo. This modern-day adaptation of a similarly named Shakespearean tragedy is presently being filmed in Queens.
Julianna and her Romeo is the tragic tale of a Latina woman from Corona and a young Glendale man of Italian heritage who fall in love. The passion of their torrid romance is eclipsed only by the viciousness of their families’ long-time feud. (In this case, it’s the Montabellos taking on the Capulezes.)
Albert Allie, a Ridgewood resident who is the movie’s director, and Kevin Brian Wright, a Glendale actor who is also an executive producer, have filmed scenes on Myrtle Avenue, Otto Road, Forest Avenue, Central Avenue and even the Fresh Pond Road M train station so far. They plan to keep up the local action and also shoot in Corona until the September 26 finishing date.
“A lot of people have been watching us film. They’ve been loving the action scenes,” said Wright. “It’s been fun.”
Wright, who plays Romeo, warns that his character is not a mild-mannered individual. For one thing, he’s on the run as police and the Capulezes want him—Dead or Alive—for killing Julianna’s cousin, Tony.
Meanwhile, Julianna (played by Astoria native Kerri Pagliarini) is no slouch, herself. “She’s a sweet, delicate flower, but she’s also a Queens girl with a New York attitude who speaks her mind,” said Wright.
To add to the drama, Julianna and Romeo speak to each other in Shakespearian English, but use current “New Yorkese” with the flick’s other characters.
Soon after a chance meeting on Myrtle Avenue, the two protagonists arrange a secret wedding through a friend who is a priest. But on the wedding day, a fight breaks out between their families which eventually leads Romeo to slay Tony.
Later on, a trapped Julianna fakes her death, which leads a despondent Romeo to kill himself—after a blazing gun battle with cops in the street, of course. Moments later Julianna awakens to see her lover’s dead body and feels suicide is her only option.
Produced by the Black Dragon Group and the Kevin Brian Wright Stuntmans Association, Julianna and her Romeo is scheduled to go to distributors in spring of 2004. For more information, surf to www.geocities.com/julianna_and_Her_romeo/romeo.html.