"Romeo and Juliet" Review

Out of all of Shakespeare’s plays, "Romeo and Juliet" is perhaps the most embedded in modern popular culture. It has appeared in every conceivable incarnation, from classic stage and film versions to musicals to an upcoming recreation starring cartoon gnomes. Whenever doomed, star-crossed lovers crop up in the arts, their origin can usually be traced to a couple of foolish kids from Verona.

In some ways this familiarity is an asset to any theater that takes on the work. Yet it can also be a hindrance when it comes to making the Bard’s words feel fresh. Even a person who’s never read a stanza of Shakespeare knows how this story ends. Richmond Shakespeare takes on this challenge with admirable gusto and presents a capable, solid, well-acted and directed take on the classic that faithfully adheres to Shakespeare’s work. No one is reinventing the wheel here. But then again no one has to.

Grant Mudge directs with an assured hand, corralling a fairly large cast and a great deal of action. As Fight Director, Gregg Lloyd deserves a great deal of credit for making the numerous fight scenes dynamic and exciting. There is a lot of sword wielding in Romeo and Juliet, and Lloyd’s direction turn the fights into vivid and exhilarating set pieces. Rebecca Cairns and Ann Hoskins’ costumes are uniformly beautiful. They stay very true to tradition, but with a bountiful use of texture and color, tradition doesn’t ever feel old or static.

Despite some obvious first night jitters, the cast excels at the often tricky material. Joey Ibanez, playing Romeo’s friend, Mercutio, and the prince of Verona is a one-man ball of energy and a joy to watch. His Mercutio is over the top, but in a way that brings freshness and life to the otherwise very traditional production. He manages to bring modern cadences to the role without losing the integrity of the material. As Lord Capulet, Foster Solomon is an assured and reasonable voice of authority one moment, and a desperate, vicious man the next. When he explodes into rage, he radiates an electric intensity and presence that’s utterly compelling.

Freddy Kaufman anchors the production with a gentle kindness as Friar Laurence who assists the young lovers in their doomed attempts to stay together. Thomas L. Cunningham provides welcome comic relief in the gender-reversed role of Juliet’s nurse. His deft timing and physicality provide the play’s funniest moments.

As the titular couple Jeffrey Cole and Liz Blake White are terrific. Cole makes Romeo charming, innocent and downright boyish at the onset of the play. Yet he believably morphs into a desperate and broken man, twisted further and further away from his earlier innocence with each new hindrance to his heart’s desire. As Juliet, Liz White reveals glimpses of a razor sharp intelligence underneath Juliet’s moonstruck, little girl demeanor. She too grows up as the play progresses without ever losing believability.

"Romeo and Juliet" is often remembered solely for the tragedy at its conclusion. Yet that’s a shame, because leading up to that ending is a complex and intricate plot full of blood feuds, rebellion, betrayal, loyalty, misunderstandings, and of course, that famous, soul stirring love.

It’s no wonder that "Romeo and Juliet" remains so popular. Yet anyone who’s only watched the Leonardo Dicaprio version or West Side Story or the one with gnomes in it has missed out. The power of the story is purest on a stage. Which is why Richmond Shakespeare’s adept and faithful production is the perfect opportunity to see the play as it was intended to be seen, wrapped in language so elaborate and elegant that it’s easy to get lost in it and just listen to the sound and beauty of Shakespeare’s words.