Beneath the Stage
Live theater remains one of the last shared rituals of imagination—where artistry, craft, and human presence come alive.
Beneath the Stage reveals the passion and collaboration behind Shakespeare in the Park, a cherished San Antonio tradition.
The Making of Romeo & Juliet at San Pedro Playhouse
Beneath the Stage
What began as a "behind-the-scenes" look at a play turned into a film following a legendary San Antonio Director and the Playhouse that has been sharing stories for over a century. This documentary follows the live production of Romeo & Juliet for an annual Shakespeare in the Park festival at the San Pedro Playhouse.
The main subject of the documentary, Tony Ciaravino, guides viewers through the process of bringing a production to life, drawing on the perspective of someone who has worked on the play eight times before. This time, he wanted to go big, really big, attempting a stage spanning 25 feet high in the Texas summer. The first task is to build the stage, then everyone can play.
This story will show the philosophy behind directing a project, while including the element that often gets overlooked: all of the effort and challenges that every live production brings.