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Thurs-Sun, May 7 - June 7
Zilker Park (2100 Barton Springs Road)
FREE All shows 8pm
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Let’s get two curious details—both relating to the stars— out of the way before delving into the many fine points of this production. Firstly, Collin Bjork (Romeo) and Gwendolyn Kelso (Juliet), each deliver any number of breathless moments during the show. This is not a bad thing—if you think about it, the lovers, as written by the Bard, are in fact teenagers and, cliché but true, teenagers do have their melodramatic moments. So it’s quite possible this breathlessness was intentional on the part of director Ann Ciccolella. The bigger point is that the two are well-matched and it’s easy to wrap your head around their enthusiasm for each other so, ultimately, the breathlessness works.
Curious point numero dos: Okay, this interpretation of the play is set in 1940s Central Texas—read: it is bicultural and both the Montague and Capulet families are Mexican-American. But the lead actors are muy blanco, and noticeably so. So you could sit there wondering why the protagonists aren’t also Latino or you could suspend your disbelief, recalling that original Shakespeare productions took similar license (with men playing the roles of women), and chill out. The latter is highly recommended.
Because people? This is a great show. Opening night was particularly magical, what with a cool breeze blowing across the Sheffield Hillside Theater in Zilker Park and a near-full moon rising in the sky mid-show, as if the props department had some excellent connections with Mother Nature. J. Scott Guthrie’s sets are simple yet elegant—opening in El Mercado, moving on to Juliet’s lovely balcony, and then relying mostly on large panels reconfigured as needed to evoke the doomed lass' boudoir, a party room, and a monk’s chambers. (Fun note—at one point, they are arranged in a manner highly evocative of the Van Halen logo.) And the live music, composed by Michael McKelvey, is just right.
Ciccolella elicits truly memorable performances from her entire cast, who mix colloquial Spanish with Shakespearean English to wonderful effect. Justin Scalise, well known among Austin Shakespeare fans, not surprisingly does a lovely turn as Mercutio, and Juliet’s parents played by Ernesto “Roze” Rosas and Celeste Guzman Mendoza are particularly believable in that “We’re you’re parents, mija! We know what’s best for you!” sort of way.
But the absolute most show-stopping moments (and there are definitely several) come courtesy of Eva McQuade in the role of Juliet’s nurse. McQuade is a new addition to Austin Shakespeare and here’s hoping this is only the beginning of a long run for her with the company. Her Nurse brings lots of comic relief to the tragic tale but just as she approaches the line of parody, risking what could wind up a Cheech-and-Chong-esque caricature of a portrayal, she pulls back, all excellent timing and delivery.
Hint: grab a picnic (or bring cash for the fajitas stand and the paletas man) and show up about an hour early. You can get a great parking spot, dip your toes in Barton Springs, and stake out an excellent perch on the hill.
Romeo and Juliet runs through June 7.
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Simply want to mention there were 2 other composers that made that music "just right" for this play. Ernesto “Roze” Rosas composed the song at the beginning of the 2nd Act and Michael Mendoza, who also plays Tybalt, composed the music at the opening scene, as well as, the balcony scene music.