The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC) is back after a 580-day hiatus — and what better way to return than with one of the Bard’s most performed plays: Romeo and Juliet, the tragic tale of star-crossed lovers who hail from long feuding families, the Montagues and Capulets.
Set in sun-dappled Verona, Italy during the Renaissance, CSC’s staging — the seventh in company history — creates the perfect mood for a doomed, tender, lusty romance. It leans furthest into the latter, however, as it is ripe with filthy innuendos and horny one-liners. Under director Darnell Pierre Benjamin, these elements shine through, with the cast expertly accentuating suggestive phrases to drive the wordplay home. This especially proves true in the first half, before comedy turns into tragedy. (The cast is made up of 16 Resident Ensemble Members.)
Crystian Wiltshire and Courtney Lucien star as the titular couple. Both actors embody their adolescent characters, full of charm and wonder, from the moment they lock eyes across the room at a crowded ball. Both actors are highly expressive with starry eyes and swooning gestures. They long to be together and to never part, despite the damning circumstances in their way. Juliet monologues from her balcony as Romeo watches from nearby, completely enraptured as she calls into the night: “Romeo, doff thy name/And for that name, which is no part of thee/Take all myself.” It’s a scene that would feel just as at home in a John Hughes flick as both actors tug on their character’s lust-and-love-fueled naivete.
Whereas many interpretations of this play ooze with luxury, Benjamin's take on the classic tale forgoes scenes of grandeur in favor of a more scaled-back, humble vision of Verona. According to the mobile program, this production imagines the Capulets and Montagues as underclass families as it probes the “overt presence of violence and discontent within their community.” This concept is realized through a diverse cast in which actors often play roles that they may have been traditionally excluded from. Overall, this choice makes for a more accessible Romeo and Juliet, one in which a broader audience is more likely to see themselves reflected.
Rainy Edwards’ costuming employs warm, muted colors. Romeo’s confidant, the goofy and fearless Mercutio (Geoffrey Warren Barnes II), sports the loudest attire, which emphasizes his maverick tendencies. Juliet’s Nurse, played by Gina Cerimele-Mechley, also provides comic relief throughout, occasionally breaking the fourth wall to wink and gesture at the audience. Both actors yielded the night’s biggest laughs by digging into physical comedy.
With Samantha Reno as scenic designer, the set itself is decidedly cozy. Fountains flank either side of the stage. On the left, Juliet’s vine-covered balcony adds whimsy while the opposite side features a staircase. When the lovebirds reach out for help to Friar Lawrence (played with care by Kelly Mengelkoch), her space is signaled by the addition of a simple cart full of herbs and medicine. The set’s simplicity allows for quick, seamless transitions between scenes while adding to Verona’s small-village feel.
With Romeo and Juliet comes bloody brawls. At its center, after all, are two families ensnared in a generational feud. Cerimele-Mechley is also the production’s fight director, and the various fights are thrilling to watch. The blunders are few and made up for with grandiose performances. A street fight between Mercutio and the stubborn, pompous Tybalt (Marcus Anthony) serves as the play’s tipping point.
Over-the-top and goofy, Mercutio prances about the stage making phallic jokes while being swung at by an unamused Tybalt. But this scene still packs enough of a punch to effectively move the first half’s rom-com sentiments into the second act's tragedy.
Justen N. Locke’s simple lighting design coats the stage in warm hues for the majority of the production. The rest of the cast orbits around the star-crossed lovers. Played by Angelique Archer, Romeo’s cousin Benvolio radiated kindness; she infuses every scene with a sense of tender calm. Jeremy Dubin plays Lord Capulet — a man who wishes his daughter to be wed to another suitor, Paris (Patrick Earl Phillips) — with fierceness, delivering one of the play’s most frightening moments. All in all, the cast and crew fold together to create a story not only of love, but also of division and unity; light and dark; mental health and hope, or lack thereof. And, yes, it's also very horny — as Shakespeare should be.
CSC’s return to indoor theater comes, of course, with COVID-19-related precautions. All ticketholders must show proof of a full vaccination status or provide a negative COVID test before entering the theater. Masks are also required, except while actively eating or drinking. Other changes include mobile programs, which can be accessed easily via a QR code.
Romeo and Juliet runs through Nov. 13. Tickets and showtimes available at cincyshakes.com.
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