BILLINGS — On Friday, Backyard Theatre performed an inebriated rendition of "Romeo and Juliet" at Thirsty Street as part of its annual Drunken Shakespeare fundraising initiative.
“I feel really good, but also that I need some water," said Evan Ulrichs, who played Romeo.
Audience members were encouraged to drink along to cues, such as when the names of the main characters were mentioned or when a risqué joke was delivered.
“This year, we tried to turn it a little bit more into a ‘Hey, give us money, and we’ll do a specific version,’” said Bryan Lavoie, who directed the production and played Paris and Tybalt.
Donation goals were met with chugging while doubling as selections made to influence parts of the play's language, with audience members voting for "Seuss-ified, Gen-Z, or plain English."
The group estimated it made around $900, which will go toward its upcoming production season.
“(Theatre) has always provided my best friends," said Olivia Kusek, who played Juliet.
