Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and JulietCould there be a more appropriate place for a production of Romeo and Juliet than Central Park in the summer? The outdoor theatre, framed by trees and grass and topped by the moon and stars, is the perfect place for the Public Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s timeless tale. This performance, with a young, attractive cast bursting with energy, captures the rapid rush of love and actually does it justice.Staged around – and in – a large pool of water, the play seems to have been moved from Verona to Venice, although the introductory poem has not altered its words. The water serves as a boundary to some scenes and a way to move from one to another, as many actors walk through, rather than around it during the performance. An elevated walkway also spans the water, which is utilized during many of the scenes, especially the Capulet’s party when Romeo and Juliet first meet.The two lovers, played by Oscar Issac and Lauren Ambrose, create chemistry together, but Ambrose outshines Issac in every possible way. His Romeo is less impassioned, less impetuous, and less spontaneous than he should be. He appears almost blasé and much too self-assured. His love for Juliet is not worshipful, the way it is written, but instead stoic and stable and not suited for this production.As Juliet, Ambrose creates a teenager so intelligent and insightful that this twenty-something year old reviewer was envious of the character’s capabilities. Decked out in a white gown, with her long red hair flowing behind her, she physically embodies youth and innocence, while her delivery of Juliet’s lines gives reveals her remarkably mature mind., which is clearly in competition with her raging teenage hormones. She is thoughtful, but uncertain, in love but not out of her mind. Throughout the balcony scene with Romeo, she varies between fidgeting and giggling to careful caution, as she questions Romeo’s intentions and states that their love is “Too rash, too unadvis’d, too sudden, too like the lightning.”How right she is.While Issac and Ambrose have satisfactory chemistry together, Issac seems more comfortable in the scenes with his friends, especially Christopher Evan Welch’s Mercutio, who steals every scene that he is in. He is given a frantic energy and fiery spirit to Mercutio’s restless, impatient nature, which causes his Queen Mab speech to rapidly transform from a story of mythical fantasies to impassioned madness, casting a dark cloud over the audience that is not broken by Romeo’s plea of, “peace, good Mercutio. Thou talks of nothing.”The show’s darker scenes are contrasted with lighter ones, thanks in great part to Camryn Manheim’s performance as Juliet’s nurse. She maximizes the comedic capabilities of the role, laughing at her own jokes and utilizing every double entendre there is. An equally solid supporting role is played by Austin Pendelton as Friar Laurence, Romeo’s mentor and aid. And Michael Cristofer puts on a compelling show as Lord Capulet, making the man a truly fierce and frightening presence. His scenes with his daughter, especially when he threatens to disown her if she does not marry Paris, are powerfully charged and quite tragic to behold.Everyone in the production possesses an inexplicable feeling of urgency which is underlying in all of their performances. Everyone is in a rush, everyone is hurrying towards something. It is only when the two lovers are found dead in their tomb that the company slows down enough to reflect on what has happened. This theme is enhanced by the atmosphere of the production; when the two lovers meet, the sun is still up and the park is alive. When Juliet pleas with Romeo to not swear his love by the moon, she is speaking by the light of it. And by the time they are dead and the Prince informs the families of the tragedy that has ensued from their ignorance and anger, the sun has set and the park is enveloped in darkness.