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<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"><b style>************************************************************************************************************<br></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">
<b style>Juliet
shines in Great Lakes Theatre’s ROMEO AND JULIET </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">Roy Berko</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"><span style="font-size:10pt">(Member, American Theatre
Critics Association and Cleveland Critics Circle)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"><span style="font-size:10pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">ROMEO AND JULIET, the tale of star-crossed lovers,
is considered one of Shakespeare’s great plays.<span style> </span>Filled with unbridled love, beautiful illusions, conflict,
plot twists, and an emotional ending, it has all the elements of audience
appealing theatre.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">Interestingly, Shakespeare did not invent the plot
for the play.<span style> </span>Poet Arthur Brooks
is credited with writing a tale of Romeus and Juliet in what is often referred
to as a “long plodding poem.”<span style> </span>Many
of the story threads in the Bard’s version, including the lovers meeting at a
ball, their instant love and secret marriage, Romeo’s fight with Juliet’s
cousin, the sleeping potion, and the eventual suicides, are all “stolen” from
Brooks. <span style> </span>In Shakespeare’s
hands, however, the tale is not plodding.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">The story centers on a feud between the families
Capulet and Montague in the city of Verona.<span style> </span>The play starts with a battle between servants of the
families and concludes with the end of the grudge.<span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">In short, Romeo is in love with Rosaline.<span style> </span>Rosaline deflects his attention.<span style> </span>Benvolio, Romeo’s friend invites the
melancholy youth to accompany him to a feast in order for him to relieve his
depression.<span style> </span>There Romeo sees the
fair Juliet, instantly falls in love, his affections are returned by the lovely
teen and, thus, a tale of forbidden love and senseless, yet poetic and dramatic
deaths follow.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">Great Lakes Theatre’s production of ROMEO AND
JULIET, under the direction of Charles Fee has many high points.<span style> </span>Betsy Mugavero is luminous as
Juliet.<span style> </span>She perfectly develops the
child/woman qualities needed.<span style> </span>She
is as irrational as a youth should be, hits the right level of being impetuous
and head strong, and makes Juliet totally believable.<span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">Laurie Birmingham successfully textures the role of
Nurse.<span style> </span>It becomes readily
apparent, due to Birmingham’s interpretation of the role, that Juliet is the
product of Nurse’s constant devotion.<span style>
</span>The portrayal is filled with compassion and humor.<span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">Lynn Robert Berg nicely develops Friar Laurence into
a wise and understanding sage, helping the young lovers in their plotting.<span style> </span>J. Todd Adams, is excellent as
Mercutio, Romeo’s friend.<span style> </span>He has a
nice flair for comedy and the ironic.<span style>
</span>Laura Perrotta is correctly passionate as Lady Capulet, Juliet’s mother,
avoiding the common mistake of some American actors of overplaying Shakespeare.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">The sword fight scenes, under the guidance of Ken
Merckx, are exciting, filled with acrobatics and clever movements, including
participants hanging from the scaffolding.<span style> </span>Star Moxley’s costume designs were appropriate and the women’s
garb elegant.<span style> </span>There is some nice
plot heightening underscoring music.<span style>
</span>The pacing keeps the story flowing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">On the other hand, Fee, infuses verbal and nonverbal
sexual innuendos that distract from the plot line.<span style> </span>With a large number of students coming to production, the titillation,
which is unnecessary, seems inappropriate.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">Aled Davis, as Juliet’s father, screamed his way
through the role.<span style> </span>There was little
texturing, mainly unbridled volume.<span style>
</span>In addition, the important final scene of the play, in which the Friar
summarizes the Bard’s message, was drowned out by the overdone wailing of
Melissa Owens, Romeo’s mother.<span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">Yes, Romeo is supposed to be melancholy, but
Christian Durso, so underplayed the character, that the youth was almost devoid
of personality.<span style> </span>There appeared to
be no real passion between him and Juliet.<span style> </span>Even the kisses were tepid.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">A major visual and audio problem was created by
scenic designer Gage Williams’ set. <span style> </span>Because of the large mid stage heavy wall, and the small size
of the gate-entrance into the death vault, those audience members seated stage
right and left could neither see nor hear the important scene between Romeo and
Paris, just before the play’s conclusion.<span style>
</span>A high school student sitting behind me whispered to her friend, “What’s
going on back there?” That’s definitely not a good sign.<span style> </span>The set and blocking should serve the
play, not obliterate important scenes, especially the climactic ones.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt;color:rgb(102,0,204)"><i style> </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt;color:rgb(102,0,204)"><i style>Capsule judgement:<span style> </span>ROMEO AND JULIET gets a credible performance
at GLT, highlighted by an enchanting performance by Betsy Mugavero as Juliet,
good pacing, and some fine supporting acting, but the production does have some
problematic elements.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt;color:rgb(102,0,204)"><i style><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style"">Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from
2001 through 2012, can be found at <span style><span style><a href="http://www.royberko.info">www.royberko.info</a></span></span>. His reviews
and commentary can also be found on <span style><span style><a href="http://www.coolcleveland.com">www.coolcleveland.com</a></span></span> and
www.NeOHIOpal, Broadwaynews.com and ArtsAmerica.org.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:rgb(102,0,204)">*******************************************************************************************************************</span><br>
<i style><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style";color:#c0504d"></span></i><span style="color:windowtext"></span></p>