LONDON -- In a new staging of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," a Baghdad theater director has transformed the Montagues and Capulets into religious rivals in war-torn Iraq.
And Monadhil Daood says he hopes his version of the play will showcase his country's rich theatrical traditions.
Daood said Wednesday that his Iraqi Theater Company is performing its adaptation of the classic tale of doomed lovers at the Swan Theater in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of the famed English playwright.
Daood says the new staging transfers the traditional story to present day Iraq, where violence is fueled by sectarian divisions between Sunni and Shia Muslims.
The performances, which run April 26 to May 5, were commissioned by the Stratford-based Royal Shakespeare Company as part of its World Shakespeare Festival.
Check out where else
Shakespeare's been in the news of late:
Launch Slideshow
HIDE THUMBNAILS
1 of 11
PLAY ALL
VOTE ON THIS SLIDE
ADVERTISEMENT
[{"entry_id":"1738184","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/08\/03\/chow-kar-hoo-photograph_n_1738184.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/242497\/slide_242497_1323614_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/242497\/slide_242497_1323614_small.jpg","title":"Chow Kar Hoo's 'Heroes Next Door' Series","slideshow_id":"242497","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1755604","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/08\/08\/marvin-hamlisch-stars-react_n_1755604.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/243508\/slide_243508_1347324_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/243508\/slide_243508_1347324_small.jpg","title":"Remembering Marvin Hamlisch","slideshow_id":"243508","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1699729","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/07\/24\/db-cooper-exhibit-to-open_n_1699729.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/240696\/slide_240696_1274322_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/240696\/slide_240696_1274322_small.jpg","title":"D.B. Cooper Exhibit","slideshow_id":"240696","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1718549","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/07\/30\/united-federation-doll-clubs-convention_n_1718549.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/241603\/slide_241603_1298335_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/241603\/slide_241603_1298335_small.jpg","title":"Black Cloth Dolls","slideshow_id":"241603","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1751542","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/08\/07\/marvin-hamlisch-dead_n_1751542.html","content_type":"video","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/243280\/slide_243280_1341671_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/243280\/slide_243280_1341671_small.jpg","title":"Marvin Hamlisch Slideshow","slideshow_id":"243280","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1709946","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/07\/27\/handpainted-type-india-fonts_n_1709946.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/240963\/slide_240963_1287551_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/240963\/slide_240963_1287551_small.jpg","title":"The Roadside Fonts Of India","slideshow_id":"240963","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1728747","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/dafna-yachin\/tibet-buddhist-text-digital-_b_1728747.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/242209\/slide_242209_1315724_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/242209\/slide_242209_1315724_small.jpg","title":"Digital Dharma","slideshow_id":"242209","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1699316","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/07\/24\/benjamin-millepied-la-dance-project-framework_n_1699316.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/240517\/slide_240517_1270578_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/240517\/slide_240517_1270578_small.jpg","title":"Framework at MOCA","slideshow_id":"240517","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1757199","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/08\/08\/50-middle-eastern-artists_n_1757199.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/243598\/slide_243598_1349450_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/243598\/slide_243598_1349450_small.jpg","title":"50 People Shaping the Culture of the Middle East","slideshow_id":"243598","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1707315","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/07\/28\/site-specific-dance_n_1707315.html","content_type":"video","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/240935\/slide_240935_1279999_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/240935\/slide_240935_1279999_small.jpg","title":"Site-Specific Dance Performances","slideshow_id":"240935","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1705728","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/07\/26\/morgan-james-twitter-into-the-woods_n_1705728.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/241047\/slide_241047_1283171_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/241047\/slide_241047_1283171_small.jpg","title":"Into the Woods Twitter Firestorm","slideshow_id":"241047","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1757357","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/08\/08\/steven-laxton-photography_n_1757357.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/243539\/slide_243539_1348394_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/243539\/slide_243539_1348394_small.jpg","title":"Steven Laxton 'Human & Urban Forms'","slideshow_id":"243539","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1711425","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/07\/27\/the-week-in-culture-photo_n_1711425.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/241381\/slide_241381_1291486_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/241381\/slide_241381_1291486_small.jpg","title":"Week In Culture","slideshow_id":"241381","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1729847","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/christopher-duggan\/photographing-dance-in-th_b_1729847.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/242275\/slide_242275_1317727_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/242275\/slide_242275_1317727_small.jpg","title":"Natural Light Studio at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival","slideshow_id":"242275","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1724082","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/07\/31\/edinburgh-fringe-2012_n_1724082.html","content_type":"video","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/241923\/slide_241923_1306162_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/241923\/slide_241923_1306162_small.jpg","title":"Edinburgh Fringe Shows","slideshow_id":"241923","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1716075","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/rainer-sigl\/video-game-photography_b_1716075.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/241529\/slide_241529_1296418_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/241529\/slide_241529_1296418_small.jpg","title":"The Art Of In-Game Photography","slideshow_id":"241529","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1699418","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/07\/24\/joe-klamar-olympics_n_1699418.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/240536\/slide_240536_1271005_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/240536\/slide_240536_1271005_small.jpg","title":"Joe Klamar's Olympics Portraits","slideshow_id":"240536","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1698639","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/07\/24\/one-steinway-place-piano_n_1698639.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/240447\/slide_240447_1268583_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/240447\/slide_240447_1268583_small.jpg","title":"Christopher Payne's 'One Steinway Place'","slideshow_id":"240447","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1738760","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/08\/05\/the-week-in-culture-photo_n_1738760.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/242733\/slide_242733_1328121_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/242733\/slide_242733_1328121_small.jpg","title":"The Week In Culture (PHOTOS)","slideshow_id":"242733","vertical":"culture"},{"entry_id":"1730762","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/08\/01\/gore-vidal-dead-best-man-cast_n_1730762.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/242296\/slide_242296_1318189_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/242296\/slide_242296_1318189_small.jpg","title":"'Gore Vidal's The Best Man': Cast & Crew React","slideshow_id":"242296","vertical":"culture"}]
Loading comments… 
04/25/12 04:30 PM ET