The Romantics

Reviewed by Joseph Klink

City of West Hollywood and Classical Theatre Lab – Kings Road Park

Thru September 25

RECOMMENDED

After a summer of staying indoors to escape insufferable heat, there is a unique opportunity to be found in a welcoming, shaded park in West Hollywood. For over 15 years, the City has partnered with Classical Theatre Lab to produce shows for WeHo’s Free Theatre in the Parks. This season they are presenting Edmond Rostand’s The Romantics in Kings Road Park.

The play, written 138 years ago, features two families, neighbors, whose parents try to fool their young adult children into a relationship.  Everyone means well in a way that, through classic comedic fashion, means everything must go wrong. There are allusions to Romeo and Juliet, as the lovers here iconize the ill-fated Shakespearean couple, but the twist is supportive and loving households who don’t know how to communicate.

Directed by Suzanne Hunt, the production is a light-hearted, comedic romance with high energy acting and soft musical chords. Set in the center of the park underneath some tall trees, this ensemble of seven are motivated and thoroughly enjoying themselves. Maegan McConnel and Johnny Austen deliver a strong performance as the ingenues, filled with the excitement and emotional turns of being young and in love; Maaren Edvard and Alexander Wells are well cast as their sophisticated, doting parents. The actors are heartwarming, the story moves quickly, and the setting is open with fresh air and a canopy of trees. All in all, this is an experience that can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages with a less familiar classical text.

Classical Theatre Lab, performing at Kings Road Park, 1000 N. Kings Road, West Hollywood, Sat.-Sun., 3 pm; thru Sept. 25. Running time 75 minutes with no intermission. https://www.classicaltheatrelab.org/