Estonian theater Kinoteater recently staged one of the most unusual versions of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” featuring heavy-duty vehicles as actors and a limestone quarry as the stage.

“Romula ja Julia” was a nearly wordless performance that relied on the movements and interactions of dozens of vehicles to convey the classic love story. Romeo was represented by a rally truck, while Juliet was a red Ford pickup truck, and the climactic duel between Tybalt and Mercutio was interpreted by two excavators dangling their metal buckets in front of each other. Designed as one big experiment about what it means to stage a Shakespearean classic today and whether artists can find new ways to do it, Romula ja Julia attracted international attention because of its unusual cast.

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