New twist on play falls short

The classics have descended on the University Theatre for two weekends with the production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

Directed by the theatre department’s Jeff Sanders, “Romeo and Juliet” features Joel Chiswell and Lenea Tomoson, in their respective roles, alongside a large and talented cast.

Design for the play centered on a twist of the Italian Renaissance with a modern goth-emo fashion. Although the costumes reflected the style, the stage decor and construction didn’t.

The stage’s set design allows for an open downtown Verona and provides the proper setting for the large dance that occurs when Romeo and Juliet first meet. Although not as elaborate as some previous productions, like “Our Country’s Good,” actors used the entire space to project their roles.

Seating for the show sold out for the first two nights, indicating strong support for the production.

In terms of acting, both Chiswell and Tomoson perform very well but don’t show anything new during the first half of the play. After being cast as consistent leads during the past year, it is difficult to view them as their characters, as both offered little new with their performances. Surprising acting, however, sprang forth from Capulet (Teko Dumoulin) and The Nurse (Robyn Urhausen), whose characters weren’t headliners but consistently stole their scenes.

Mercutio (Mic Montgomery) was by far the most physical of the group in his performance. If there was any correct execution of the play’s direction of tone that Sanders looked for with the acting, Mercutio’s part fit the bill.

Alongside Mercutio, his partner in crime Benvolio (Jessica Johnson) had her standout moments as well. Both Benvolio and Mercutio play well off of each other, and their banter makes for an entertaining first half of the play. Another strong pairing was between Juliet and her Nurse, whose dialogue exchange was crafted very well.

Sanders, who directed “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” two years ago, tried to implement an “updated take” with that particular production. Putting a new twist on a classic play is difficult to pull off successfully. Unfortunately, the current production wasn’t fully executed, which makes for a final product that’s somewhat confusing.

One area that excels, however, is the amount of motion in the play. The activeness helps to smooth the old English dialogue and bring out characters such as Mercutio. Without his limber actions, the character would have fallen flat. Instead, any motion he made stood out.

Overall, “Romeo and Juliet” starts out with an interesting concept, yet it is never fully explored. There is great potential for the characters, but some are left underdeveloped, especially Romeo and Juliet. Even though the play has its executional difficulties, it is well worth the time and is another engraving in the theatre department’s catalogue.

“Romeo and Juliet” plays March 11 at 5 p.m., and March 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. All shows are at the University Theatre. Eastern students can gain free admittance and are allowed one guest by showing their Eagle ID card.