William Shakespeare\u2019s play, \u201cRomeo & Juliet,\u201d is regarded as the world\u2019s greatest tragedy of \u201cstar-cross\u2019d lovers.\u201d<\/p>\n
No need to recite plot points here. You know the story: two teens of Verona, from warring families, fall in love and (no spoiler here) die in love.<\/p>\n
The world of \u201cRomeo & Juliet\u201d is durable, inspiring the world of popular song (The Reflections\u2019 \u201c(Just Like) Romeo & Juliet,\u201d 1964; Dire Straits\u2019 \u201cRomeo and Juliet,\u201d 1980), opera (Charles Gounod\u2019s \u201cRom\u00e9o et Juliette,\u201d 1867), ballet (Sergei Prokofiev\u2019s \u201cRomeo and Juliet, Op 64,\u201d 1935), art (Joseph Wright\u2019s \u201cThe Tomb Scene,\u201d 1790), cinema (Franco Zeffirelli\u2019s \u201cRomeo and Juliet,\u201d 1968; Baz Luhrmann\u2019s \u201cWilliam Shakespeare\u2019s Romeo + Juliet,\u201d 1996) and Broadway musical (Leonard Bernstein\u2019s, Stephen Sondheim\u2019s, Arthur Laurents\u2019 \u201cWest Side Story,\u201d 1957).<\/p>\n
PA Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Jason King Jones, director of \u201cRomeo & Juliet,\u201d through Aug. 2, Main Stage, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, DeSales University, takes a global approach. It\u2019s not that the love tragedy is deemphasized. Rather, the family tragedy is brought to bear.<\/p>\n
The opening night July 10 performance was seen for this theater review.<\/p>\n
You might say, to quote the hoary aphorism, \u201cIt takes a village to raise a child,\u201d that a communal sense of responsibility is invoked in Jason King Jones\u2019 PSF production. The grief of the families, that of the House of Montague (Romeo\u2019s family) and that of the House of Capulet (Juliet\u2019s family), is on full display in the final scene. That is the moment (without ruining it for you in attempting to describe it) when it all comes crashing down.<\/p>\n
Up until then, it\u2019s mostly all fun and games in the smartly-mounted production with an efficient, versatile and malleable two-tiered set (suggesting castle keeps of walled-off aristocracy, a bridge too far between rival families and some nine arches that with back-lighting outline rows of graveyard tombstones) by Scenic Designer Brian Sidney Bembridge, festooned with huge flamboyant floral patterns that, by turns, in the concept by Lighting Designer Thom Weaver, become celebratory or funereal.<\/p>\n
The festivities reach a crescendo in the masked ball scene, which takes on the form of a nightclub reminiscent of The Limelight (the New York City 1980s\u2019 and \u201890s\u2019 location was a former Gothic Revival church) as Terrance Fleming (Tybalt) raps and scratches out a hip-hop dance tune by Composer and Lyricist Cedric Lamar, working with Sound Designer David M. Greenberg.<\/p>\n
The actors bust a move. They get down in the spectacular scene that reverberates, scintillates and struts across the stage as presented by Choreographer Devin Sinclair.<\/p>\n
The PSF production has the protagonists dancing with daggers. The scenes staged by Fight Choreographer Casey Kaleba are visceral, startling and realistic.<\/p>\n
Costume Designer Nancy L. Leary outfits the cast in a remarkable range of attire with many standouts, especially the magnificent gold pants suit worn by Cassia Thompson (Lady Capulet), in a charming and vivacious turn.<\/p>\n
Maboud Ebrahimzadeh (Lord Capulet) is commanding and not without humor.<\/p>\n
Ian Merrill Peakes (Lord Montague) has a sagacious presence, balanced by a steadfast Karen Peakes (Lady Montague).<\/p>\n
Suzanne O\u2019Donnell (Nurse) is a mirthful gadabout who garners a fair share of the humorous moments.<\/p>\n
Terrance Fleming (Tybalt) creates a dynamic and menacing presence.<\/p>\n
Mark Yowakim (Mercutio) gives a high-energy performance that has tinges of the comedic.<\/p>\n
Arrianna Daniels (Benvolio) brings a bold brashness to her role.<\/p>\n
Eli Lynn (Prince Escalus) is memorable in several key scenes.<\/p>\n
Darin F. Earl II (Paris) cuts a dashing figure.<\/p>\n
The cast includes Tyler Borneo (Peter), Teddy Novak (Abraham), Ryan Plunkett (Balthasar), India Proffit (Gregory), Shawn Taylor (Samson) and Jamir Fisher, Mariana Marcel and Mayrali Melendez (Ensemble).<\/p>\n
Maya Jean (Juliet) warbles a lovely song written by Lamar that speaks of her joy with a knowing sense of what may befall her. Maya Jean wonderfully explores the range of Juliet from giddy teen to a young woman wise beyond her years.<\/p>\n
If Juliet is wiser, Austin Nedrow (Romeo) assays his role as none the wiser. Romeo\u2019s love is more on the order of puppy love, infatuation and sheer devotion, and Nedrow nails it. How could a young girl resist such ardor? Well, no surprise here. Juliet doesn\u2019t. Thus is set in motion the inevitable path not to the altar (despite their secret vows), but to their doom.<\/p>\n
If ever the pithy \u201cthe road to hell is paved with good intentions\u201d rang true, it does here. Doug Hara convey a well-intentioned but clueless Friar Lawrence. The priest\u2019s stratagem represents the epitome of unintended consequences and a distinct lack of discernment for a holy man. Rather than petitioning prayerfully, the minister takes matters into his own hands with pridefully human results.<\/p>\n
As Cassius retorts to Brutus in Shakespeare\u2019s \u201cJulius Caesar,\u201d \u201dMen at some time are masters of their fates: \/ The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, \/ But in ourselves, that we are underlings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yes, it\u2019s a communication breakdown all around. That can happen when opposing forces deign diplomacy in favor of force. The families pick up arms with disastrous results, to a man.<\/p>\n
One more thing. About that final scene in PSF\u2019s \u201cRomeo & Juliet.\u201d The tableau recalls Michelangelo\u2019s Piet\u00e0 in Saint Peter\u2019s Basilica (1498-1499).<\/p>\n
Eli Lynn (Prince Escalus) brings down the curtain perfectly: \u201cFor never was a story of more woe \/ Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.\u201d<\/p>\n
You may think you know the story of \u201cRomeo & Juliet.\u201d The PSF production resonates with new insight and will provide you with renewed understanding.<\/p>\n
\u201cRomeo & Juliet,\u201d 7:30 p.m. July 8, 9, 10, 15, 22, 24, 30, Aug. 1; 6:30 p.m. July 14; 2 p.m. July 19, 25, 29, Aug. 2, PA Shakespeare Festival, Main Stage Theatre, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley. 610-282-9455, https:\/\/pashakespeare.org\/<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY KRISTY MCKEEVERMaya Jean (Juliet), Austin Nedrow (Romeo), \u201cRomeo & Juliet,\u201d PA Shakespeare Festival.<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY KRISTY MCKEEVERMaya Jean (Juliet), Austin Nedrow (Romeo), \u201cRomeo & Juliet,\u201d PA Shakespeare Festival.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"William Shakespeare\u2019s play, \u201cRomeo & Juliet,\u201d is regarded as the world\u2019s greatest tragedy of \u201cstar-cross\u2019d lovers.\u201d No need…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":243136,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154],"class_list":["post-243135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243135"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243135\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/243136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}