Romeo & Juliet

The performance of Romeo & Juliet at the J. M. Goddard Center was very interesting. I liked the choice of a small and intimate setting for this play. It really gave a feeling like we were involved in the lives of the players. This is important to any performance of Romeo and Juliet, because the play, like much of Shakespeare, is a bit long-winded in nature. It feels this way because of how the language differs from modern-day language. During the scenes when there is not battle going on the audience can easily turn against you, unless they have already invested in the characters. The intimate setting helps this.

There are a few costume issues that were addressed during the discussion in class, mostly referring to the players' shoes. I was not a big fan of any of the costume choices just because with a play like this I always prefer a more modern take. The choice was obviously made to be as genuine as possible (with the allotted budget). While it would not have been my choice, I can appreciate the director's intent.

If I was to honestly critique the character development and believability of the actors, I would have a few notes for Juliet. I am not trying to single this particular actress out. Shakespeare is incredibly hard to play, and I respect all of the actors that attempt it. It just seemed to me that she was not a very believable Juliet. It all seemed very over-acted and cheesy. Also her accent went in and out. I was in no way involved in this production, so I don't know what the rehearsal schedule was like. However, if I was the director I probably would have worked with her a little more closely before the show opened.

The set was a good choice. The simple balcony and staircase backing, with just an open area in front gave the space a good amount of functionality. The set was able to change into the different place that the play requires, without a lot of hassle.

I didn't notice any lighting or sound flaws. Everything seemed pretty well ironed-out from the technical aspect.