Director Samuel Eisenhuth’s adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” opened on Friday night at the Gettysburg Community Theatre to a sold-out performance.
Liam Day (Romeo) and Alyssa Byers (Juliet). PHOTO BY ANDY SMETZER
Shakespeare’s iconic work is a story with everything – passionate love and lust; vendettas and murder; comedy and intrigue; lavish parties and multiple suicides. And then there are the Capulets and the Montagues — two families who hate everything about each other but who are finally reconciled after their children’s deaths.
Seventeen-year-old Liam Day is Romeo and 15-year-old Alyssa Byers is Juliet. Both are sure and steady and up to their tasks as the “star-crossed” lovers of Verona. Romeo is handsome and Juliet angelic.
Eisenhuth has set the show in a contemporary time on a stage covered with graffiti. “Hate” is tagged in big letters down the middle of the set.
The costumes are ad hoc, ranging from smart gowns to motley plaids and tie-dyes. Most memorable perhaps is the peacekeeper Prince Escalus, Prince of Verona (played by Scott Hartwig) who appears in a park ranger uniform with a Verona badge on the sleeve.
Although “Romeo and Juliet” is about love, it’s also about despair. The audience is told, “For never was a story of more woe; than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” I felt Juliet’s grief the most – in Byers’ breaking voice and anguished expressions. Many stage productions end with one or maybe two dead people on the stage – “Romeo and Juliet” ends with three.
The tragedy is balanced by some comic moments, particularly from C. Andrew Adcock as Mercutio who plays his slapstick performance with flair.
There’s a lot of action in the 22 scenes spread across the two-hour performance. And a lot of dialog. Romeo and Juliet has about 25,000 words all told, which might make you think it’s a tad too long. But most of it happens before the intermission, and the story plays out quickly near the end.
I couldn’t follow everything, and was happy when the classic lines showed up:
-
Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow,
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.”
- “What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
And of course:
- “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”
Mike Krikorian as Friar Laurence hatched the plot to save the couple, but which ultimately dooms them.
Other performances include Spencer Kennedy as Benvolio and Benjamin Sites as the Apothecary.
The well-handled choreography was created by Debbie Williams (who also played Lady Capulet). Julie Carlin is the stage manager.
“Romeo and Juliet” is a pleasing and gratifying evening right here in Gettysburg. Seats are still available for some performances.
As Executive and Artistic Director Chad Alan Carr reminded the audience before the show, the Gettysburg Community Theatre is for “all ages and abilities.”
“Romeo and Juliet” plays through February 23 at 7:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2:00 p.m. Sundays.
Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.