Cal High’s almighty theatrical combo, Play Production and Theatre 3, performs their final show tonight of William Shakespeare’s classic tale of star-crossed lovers, “Romeo and Juliet.”

But there are a handful of twists director Laura Woods has up her sleeve for this adaption, which is at 7 p.m. in the school theater. Tickets cost $8 for students, $10 for adults.

In Woods’ revamp, the Capulets are a clan of wealthy mobsters that own casinos all over Las Vegas, and the Montagues are a family of rambunctious policemen. Both of them are thirsty for each other’s blood.

“There is a very strong, angry tension between the two,” said junior stage director Mikayla Cook. “Ironically, no one really knows why they hate each other so much.”

As in the classic, young Romeo of the Montague family ends up falling in love with the daughter of the Capulet mafia boss, Juliet. When the two lovers hear the news that one is a Montague and the other a Capulet, they are distraught, but their love and desire for each other is strong. They decide to pursue the relationship even if it will cost them their lives.

“The two are willing to go against their own families,” said senior Avery Massa. “They’re even willing to die for each other.”

“The two are driven more to each other by their parents not allowing it, as children and young adults were also told what not to do. But we do it anyway,” said senior Logan Rains, who plays Romeo. “Their love is forbidden, which makes them want each other more.”

Woods’ revamp of Shakespeare’s legend of forbidden love has an all-star cast, including Rains, senior Avery Massa as Juliet, junior River Moore as Tybalt, junior Danaka Katovich as Mercutio, senior Hannah Chylinski as Nurse, senior Jon Dadgari as Lord Capulet, senior Taylor Karst as Lady Capulet, junior Brennan Osborn as Friar Lawrence, and senior Nicholas Escobar as Paris.

This rendition is set in Las Vegas during 1953, a date that is incorporated in the play with its visuals provided by the entire cast.

“We set the play in the ’50s in Las Vegas because my set designers decided they liked the time period,” said Woods. “We also wanted to incorporate spray-painted graffiti on the set and it wasn’t invented until 1953.”

One of the standouts of this remake is the retro costumes designed by senior Julie Silva and junior Adelaide Barnes. The costumes provide even more of a visual representation to the time period.

“Julie and I really love working with 1950’s fashion,” Barnes said. “A lot of the styles you see today like high-waisted skirts or polka dots are apart of the style back then.”

The play also has professionally choreographed action scenes by Kyle Mcreddie, the head of staff at Magic Theatre, a performing arts school in San Francisco. These fight scenes are guaranteed to bring the rivalry of the Montagues and Capulets to life.

“The fight scenes took hours of work to perfect,” said Moore, who as Tybalt gets to duel Romeo. “They’re intense but definitely action-packed.”

The props for the play were crafted by sophomore Sierra Gard.

All of the props are adjusted to the specific time-period chosen by the Play Production and Theatre 3 team, which are responsible to breathing life into the story.

Cal’s theatre department shows many audience-members watching their rehearsals and productions that they work as a family.

They present themselves to be supportive and hardworking students pursuing their love for the art of drama, and a group of determined young men and women wanting to entertain and move the minds of their audience.