It took me a while to figure out who’s who and where from and going to and why in FSU/Asolo Conservatory’s new staging of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Director Jonathan Epstein has put the story of the ill-fated lovers into two Acts of mostly rising action played by sexually nontraditional actors impersonating a number of roles in textual nontraditional sexes. The essential plot remains the same.
Performances are this version’s essential strengths, nice for a company mainly involved in a university master’s program in acting. Especially in celebration of its 50th year!As one might expect, the star roles shine brightly. Ashley McCauley Moore’s Juliet shows continually maturing love. Looking like a boy, Catlin Rose is always believable expressing masculine sexual love as Romeo. S/he displays an adolescent crush maturing into romantic yet realistic love.
Especially strong here, Rickey Watson, Jr.’s fierce Lord Capulet and his Lady (Elle Miller) insist on Juliet’s obedience. (She’s supposed to wed Brian Zane’s Paris, who may also be the Duke. It’s hard to tell if he’s one character or two.) Capulets are aided by Juliet’s unscrupulous Nurse, acted by Jonathan Acosta (who could, though, eliminate some of his pounding on his phony woman’s big-bloused breasts).
Reliable all through the play is Ayda Ozdoganlar’s Benvolia, often like a substitute for a narrator. Falcian Page has a lesser but still assured presence as Lord Montague.
John Leggett’s Tybalt seemed to me oddly more likable than Jasmyn Ackah’s Mercutio, who died a bit awkwardly with little stress on his famous last words. The director’s changing Friar Laurence to a Sister Laurence brings on a strangely costumed Catherine Lucianni. Maybe that huge bow sometimes on her head makes others refer to her as Mother, not as Sister as listed in the program.. Making Friar Laurence a Sister defies historical and religious realities.
The new Elizabethan stage is beautiful, though I doubt its being mostly red and white is very Elizabethan. At the Cook, there is no pit, but the extended front stage does bring all close to the audience. I noted also (ahem) a handy ladder (with vine at its side) next to Juliet’s balcony for Romeo (or anyone) to climb up to!
Fights are forcefully staged. Movement is fine throughout. So are most of the costumes and hairdos, makeup, and wigs. No problem with technical effects. Shakespeare’s dramatic poetry also is a treat, even in an early example, no matter how much is done to it.
