Romeo & Juliet 

Reviewed by Lara J. Altunian 
The Vagrancy at the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles 
Through May 6  

RECOMMENDED 

Most of us know the story—boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, both make rash decisions that lead to their deaths. William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a staple of the theater world and its familiarity attracts some audience members while turning others away. This makes the Vagrancy’s rendition impressive. Their ability to condense the plot while adding modern twists and still maintaining the story’s integrity results in an enjoyable evening for both diehard Shakespeare aficionados and those hoping for a less fussy introduction to the Bard’s work.

For the uninitiated: Teenagers Romeo Montague (Eddie Ramos) and Juliet Capulet (Acacia Fisher) meet at her family’s masquerade ball and instantly fall for each other. That evening, they play out the famous balcony scene and confess their love, and a couple of days later they are secretly wed by Elder Laurence. Juliet’s high-strung cousin Tybalt, who has seen the lovers together, challenges Romeo to a fight and ends up killing his friend Mercutio (Tory Devon Smith). Romeo exacts revenge by murdering Tybalt and is then banished from the city by the Prince of Verona.

After the bloodshed, Lord Capulet (Darrett Sanders) plans to have his daughter marry the wealthy Count Paris (Andrew Walke). So, Juliet takes a sleeping draught, given to her by Laurence, to simulate death.  Ignorant of this, Romeo returns to the city where he’s told his wife has perished in his absence. He buys poison and kills himself after viewing her sleeping form one last time. Juliet awakens moments after Romeo dies and tragically takes her life once she realizes he is gone.

Heavily influenced by Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film Romeo + Juliet, the characters in director Caitlin Hart’s adaptation wear modern clothing (though not quite Hawaiian-shirt modern). Some of the weightier and less essential dialogue has been filtered out, enabling the actors to emphasize the play’s comic elements, which they enhance with body language in order to make the outdated and obscure references to Celtic mythology relevant for the viewers.

Smith’s dramatic Mercutio provides most of the comic relief. His gestures add a surprisingly amusing touch to the character’s vulgarity. Similarly, Brittney S. Wheeler’s Nurse steals every scene she appears in thanks to her movements and contemporary-sounding accent. Her boisterous mannerisms do most of the talking with each line she delivers. A multicultural cast adds variety to the performances, as do a few gender-swapped roles, most prominently Baron as Elder Laurence in one of the most naturalistic portrayals of the production.

Much like the ’90s film, violence is underscored — and updated. Fight choreography (Jen Albert) replaces swordplay, and Juliet’s final demise is via a gun instead of a dagger. The gun seems like overkill given that knives are used to kill Mercutio and Tybalt, but its alarming sound adds an extra bit of drama to the story’s resounding finale.

Further displays of violence abound with Sanders’ Lord Capulet, who resembles an old-time alcoholic Southern hotshot. He beats Juliet for voicing her displeasure at marrying Paris, then slaps his wife (Kim Swennen) and the Nurse for getting involved in the scuffle. Romeo and Juliet also play out a love-making scene with both actors almost entirely nude, hammering home the production’s not-for-kids rating.

Special attention is paid to the stage’s layout (designed by Katie-Bell Kenney), which doubles as an interior and exterior street and home setting respectively. The set incorporates a Murphy bed, with an underside resembling an ivy-filled lattice that is only revealed when the bed is folded into the wall. Lighting designer Matt Richter juxtaposes bold spotlights and soft illumination and provide smooth transitions between the two. Costumes are used to distinguish the families: The Capulets wear cool-toned blues and more formal dress, while the Montagues boast rougher, earth-colored clothing. The contrast plays beautifully with the lighting and amps up the differences between the two sides. The star-crossed lovers wear white and other light colors to stand out from the rest.

Romeo & Juliet is a well-performed tribute to Shakespeare’s unforgettable classic. Every aspect of the production is artfully tailored to brings the original’s timeless themes to the forefront in an accessible way. The supporting characters are more notable than the principle ones, but the choices that have been made brighten up the tale. They work well to make for a memorable rendering, one that won’t leave audience members feeling as though they’ve sat through an overly-soppy and never-ending version of the masterpiece.

The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, 1238 W 1st St.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; through May 6. (682) 552-4076(682) 552-4076(682) 552-4076552-4076(682) 552-4076552-4076 or https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3359733. Running time: two hours with no intermission.