**** Highly Recommended Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s production of Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet, which is set in the 80s, was charming, engaging and oh, so sad. I’m not embarrassed to say that at the end I had tears in my eyes. With Shakespeare’s drama about teen angst, murder and mayhem still required reading in most high schools, I was happy to see groups of young people as well as families in the audience. I was even more happy to see those young people stand up and cheer at the end of the play! 4 Spotlights
I took my niece, Kelly, as my guest. She’d never seen Romeo and Juliet, although she too had read it in high school. She said it was a lot different to see and hear it rather than read it. In fact, now she gets the rhythms. She also said she liked the 80s setting because the clothes helped her keep track of the characters.
Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet is done on the mostly empty thrust stage in CST’s Courtyard Theatre, furnished with an archway, a couple of benches and a rolling ladder moved around for almost every scene. By the way, that ladder becomes a balcony for the most famous scene in the play.
I think everyone knows the story by now – the Montagues and the Capulets are the Hatfields and McCoys of their time. No one really remembers how the feud got started, but now the younger generation perpetuates the hatred with frequently crossed swords.
Looking for some fun one evening, Benvolio (Alex Benito Rodriguez) and his cousin Romeo (Kenneth La’Ron Hamilton), both Montagues, sneak into a Capulet party, where Romeo sees Juliet (Felicia Oduh) across the dance floor – and it’s love at first sight. As they join in the dancing, their infatuation grows. Of course, Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt (Ian Maryfield), discovering the Montague infiltration, is infuriated.
Standing at the top of that wheeled stairway, fending off her nurse’s calls, Juliet pledges her love to Romeo. Knowing the problems they’ll face, they plan to marry. Aided by the Nurse Nurse’s (Barbara Figgins) and Friar Lawrence (Jonah D. Winston), they marry in secret and spend their wedding night together.
Meanwhile, Romeo and his friend, Mercutio (Rasell Holt) run into Tybalt in the town square. When challenged, Mercutio pulls out his sword. When Tybalt kills him, an enraged Romeo kills Tybalt. Juliet’s mother, Lady Capulet (Carolyn Kruse) demands Romeo’s life, but the Prince (Adeoye) banishes him instead, setting the tragedy of the young lovers in motion.
The sad thing is that if left alone, Romeo and Juliet’s crush would have eventually run its course. Adult opposition just caused them to dig in their heels, turning young love and teen angst into an eerie nightmare.
The kids in the audience had some great questions for the cast in the Q and A after the show.
Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet runs through March 16th in the Courtyard Theatre at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre on Navy Pier. Running time is 75 minutes, no intermission. Performances are Saturday mornings at 11:00 am. Tickets range from $22-$34. Patrons receive a 40% discount in Navy Pier’s parking garages. FYI (312) 595-5600 or www.chicagoshakes.com/ssromeojuliet.