RALPH: Welcome back, Larry. 

FRIAR LAURENCE: Thanks, Ralph. Can we make this quick? There's a lot going on. 

RALPH: Sure, sure. In fact, that's what I want to talk to you about. It's early Tuesday morning and Paris shows up to inform you that he plans to marry Juliet on Thursday.

FRIAR LAURENCE: Yes, that's some difficult news, I admit. 

RALPH: Well, and you immediately advised against it after he confesses that his bride to be isn't exactly enthusiastic about the plan. 

FRIAR LAURENCE: Yes, but you see, he thinks that Juliet is upset over Tybalt's death, which, of course, she partially is, which makes it more complicated. But in any event, Capulet and Paris want this marriage to happen as quickly as possible, which makes it difficult for someone like me to stand in the way. 

RALPH: Unless you knew some reason why they shouldn't be married. 

FRIAR LAURENCE: Yes, and I know a very good reason why they shouldn't be married. I kind of wish I didn't know it. 

RALPH: Yes that Juliet is already married. You're kind of in a tough spot here. I mean, you don't just know about it, you made it happen. You've already performed an illicit wedding and if you don't do anything to stop it, marrying Juliet to Paris would be bigamy. You've got a lot on the line here, Larry. 

FRIAR LAURENCE: Thank you for pointing that out so clearly, Ralph. But, I think I have a plan. 

RALPH: Well, yes, and then Juliet shows up crossing paths with Paris. 

FRIAR LAURENCE: Yes, that was awkward to say the least. But she handled herself remarkably well. 

RALPH: Yes which is all the more impressive, given how upset she is. So, after Paris leaves, she pulls out a knife saying that she'll kill herself if there's no other way out. But you tell her that you spy a kind of hope. 

FRIAR LAURENCE: Well, that's right, Ralph. I always like to think that there's hope, although, it's a risky plan. It could be about as dangerous as the thing we're trying to avoid. 

RALPH: Yes, and you say to Juliet, if rather than to marry county Paris, thou has the strength of will to slay thyself, then is it likely thou wilt undertake a thing like Death to chide away this shame, that copest with death himself to escape from it. So what do you mean there, a thing like death? 

FRIAR LAURENCE: So, Ralph, we've talked about natural remedies, the value of plants. 

RALPH: Yes, you and your herbs. 

FRIAR LAURENCE: Well, they can come in handy. It so happens that I have a potion. 

RALPH: A potion? 

FRIAR LAURENCE: And this potion makes a person seem like they're dead. No, no, there's no detectable pulse, no breath, the blood drains from the face and lips. And, in this deathlike state, they remain for 42 hours give or take, depending on the herbs. 

RALPH: And you want Juliet to take this potion? 

FRIAR LAURENCE: Yes. I want her to go home to her parents and say that she's going to marry Paris. No problem, sorry I freaked out. Marrying Paris is a great idea. But then on Wednesday night, 

RALPH: Wednesday night, today is Tuesday. 

FRIAR LAURENCE: Yeah, Wednesday, the night before the wedding she'll take the potion, fall into this deathlike sleep and the next morning, her parents will think she's dead. Weeping and wailing, and they bury her body to Capulet's tomb. Now, that might be a little frightening for her, but Romeo and I will be there when she wakes up. And off they go to Mantua, and the whole marrying Paris thing is avoided. Great, right? 

RALPH: Sure, but then what? 

FRIAR LAURENCE: Well, it won't be the end of their troubles, I know. We have to find a way to get them back to Verona. We have to solve the whole Romeo exile thing, but at least it avoids the immediate disaster. And, it will work as long as Juliet doesn't lose her nerve along the way. 

RALPH: She might be stronger than you think. So, she accepts the plan and she leaves with the potion in hand. But Larry, if you don't mind, I've just noticed one other thing. 

FRIAR LAURENCE: What's that, Ralph? 

RALPH: Well, when we first talked, you were telling us about how nature is both a womb and a tomb. That things die, but that other things are born out of them. So if things go according to plan, well then, Juliet will literally be in a tomb, by all normal measures, dead. And yet, you hope that new life will be born out of that. 

FRIAR LAURENCE: Indeed Ralph, indeed. That's exactly what I'm hoping. Oh, you're good at this. I'm teaching a class, a workshop, really, right after services on Sunday, just a few folks. Would you care to join us? This Sunday we're going to focus—

RALPH: I'm sorry, Larry. We better check in with Sarah. 

SARAH: Juliet, you've told your parents that you're off to see Friar Laurence to give confession, but you're really hoping he'll find a way to postpone the marriage. 

JULIET: I can't marry that guy, Sarah. I just can't. 

SARAH: I know, I know, and as luck would have it, Paris, himself, is speaking to the Friar when you arrive. 

JULIET: That's luck? 

SARAH: It's fine. You get rid of him pretty quickly, leaving you alone with the Friar. 

JULIET: Well, tell him to shut the door, And when he has, to come weep with me past hope, past cure, past help. 

SARAH: Things are looking pretty grim, aren't they? Oh, my goodness, where did you get that? 

JULIET: God joined my heart with Romeo's. Friar joined our hands in marriage. And with that same hand, I'll kill myself before I'm married to another. The Friar better come up with something quick. 

SARAH: He does, he does. He has a plan, although it's a little dangerous, a little frightening, really, almost like death itself. 

JULIET: Name it. I'd rather jump off a tower than be married to Paris. Or be thrown into a pit of snakes, 

SARAH: Right. 

JULIET: Or be chained to a post with an angry bear, or to be locked in a morgue, or thrown into a fresh grave the dead man in his shroud. 

SARAH: Okay. I think I've got it. You'd do just about anything. 

JULIET: Without fear or doubt, to live an unstained wife to my sweet love. 

SARAH: Well, here's the Friars plan. He has a potion for you to take that will make you appear dead, to your family and to Paris. You'll tell them that you'll marry him but then the night before the wedding, you take the potion. When they find you in your bed and think you're dead, they'll carry you to your families tomb. The Friar will send word to Romeo, and they'll be waiting for you when you awake from your deathlike sleep. Actually, you know what, I don't think it's a very good plan. There's so many things that could go wrong. 

JULIET: Give it to me. Why wouldn't I risk death if I'm already willing to choose death? 

SARAH: It's such a dreadful situation you're in my dear, and you're so young. I can't help but admire your courage through all of this. 

JULIET: Love gives me strength, and strength makes things happen.