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‘R&J’ at Georgia Shakespeare
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
THEATER REVIEW. “Romeo and Juliet.” Georgia Shakespeare. Through Nov. 6.
First love inevitably strikes before we’re prepared to deal with it. Hormones rage. Passion obfuscates wit. Joy collides with anxiety. All balance is lost.
Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” takes that excess emotion and turns it into star-crossed tragedy. Perhaps it’s not for nothing that so many high-school kids read this play before they get their learner’s permits.
But because there are so many mediocre productions out there, so many directors with nothing new to say, this over-familiarity can breed cliche. Thankfully, that’s not the case with Georgia Shakespeare’s smartly staged, handsomely designed and ardently acted new “R&J,” which showcases the work of nine African-American actors who are working at the 20-year-old company for the first time.
Here, director Richard Garner uses a streamlined storytelling technique that lets the physical dexterity of his youthful players and the assured elegance of his seasoned actors drive the play.
The last time Garner directed “R&J” was in 1999, and a relative newcomer named Daniel May starred as Romeo. Now Garner has tapped Eugene H. Russell IV, a former member of the Freddie Hendricks Youth Ensemble who recently released a hip-hop/soul CD, as the fickle young Montague.
Russell’s leaping, boyish enthusiasm makes for a charming and memorable Romeo. Trying to hide under a bench while he eavesdrops on Juliet (Lakeisha Woodard), this irrepressible comic dunce is flustered and flummoxed by the object of his desire. Woodard, for her part, imbues Juliet with a fascinating mixture of doll-like innocence and soul-ripping pain.
Both Russell and Woodard speak beautifully, and they make their storied characters sound like regular kids. Romeo’s affinity for his friends Mercutio (Neal Ghant) and Benvolio (Enoch King) feels natural and unforced. Juliet’s closest confidante is her nurse, but, alas, Crystal Dickinson’s take on that juicy role is so overripe that it diminishes the chemistry.
As envisioned by Rochelle Barker, the set is a pool of water surrounded by a few stark totems and wooden discs that look like the exploded inner workings of a clock. For the famous balcony scene, Juliet steps into a gilded box that slowly rises up toward the firmament.
But something is lost in the prettiness of the moment, and her soliloquy never gels. By the same token, Woodard overplays her scenes of grief and prostration, although Juliet’s castigation by Lord and Lady Capulet (sturdy Tony Vaughn and regal Joan Pringle) is moving and heartfelt.
After a seamless first act, the play drags a bit in the final half. Perhaps this is because we miss Mercutio. Though the entire ensemble is generally quite good, Ghant is astonishing. In his Queen Mab speech, Mercutio seems to be spying on a spirit world that no else can see. That he inevitably succumbs to it makes his lust for life all the more tragic.
While the cast looks ravishing in Sydney Robert’s stylish costumes, the show has more to offer than visual polish. When all is said and done, it’s a playful, energetic and exceptionally satisfying meditation on first love.
THE 411: 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. 2 p.m. Sundays (no show Oct. 23). Through Nov. 6. $10-$35. Georgia Shakespeare, Conant Performing Arts Center, Oglethorpe University, 4484 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-264-0020. www.gashakespeare.org.
The verdict: Well done.
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