Romeo and Juliet
Directed by Michael McMillan
Produced by The Plague Mask Players
In High School, I used to say that Shakespeare and I don't get along. Obviously, that was only because I didn't understand it. Fast forward a year later, and I had grown to appreciate it. Go forward 2 more years, before I graduated college, and I had become completely obsessed. By this point, I had performed in a number of productions, had taken two intense semester studies of Shakespeare in Comedies and Tragedies, dove in deep with Shakespeare in my Theatre History classes and taken an intense acting class in his works. Through it all, I learned that the most important key to understanding Shakespeare is not understanding iambic pentameter, or the History of his time; it's not practicing it over and over until it sinks in and it's not having a teacher who is willing to teach it. It's the interpretation of the line itself, most commonly accomplished by the actor or the reader. I can remember auditioning for my first production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, preparing a monologue in hopes to land the part of Helena. I stood in front of my mother and my sister with a copy of the monologue in hand, having no idea what I was reciting, but giving it all the feelings I thought were associated with the piece. My sister, the eldest of us, in her wisdom, asked me if I know what I was saying. I declined. She told me to look at the punctuation in the monologue, stating that the character's thought does not end where the line ends, but rather where the punctuation says it should. So, I read it aloud again, and this time, it actually made sense. So simple! I felt like an idiot. Why had I not known that already? Regardless, at that moment, Shakespeare and I become friends, and I learned what many actors already knew-- know your lines, where they begin and where they end. Luckily, the cast of Romeo and Juliet knew exactly that, and so much more.
Romeo and Juliet is a classic play, in which most people are familiar, and one that many Theatre companies produce around the world. In this particular production by Plague Mask Players, characters and the relationships between them are reimagined. One of the beauties of performing Shakespeare is that we have the freedom to do this! There are no royalty fees to pay, nobody owns the copyright to his work, and Shakespeare is not around to tell us that we can't, so, why not?! In this rendition of Romeo and Juliet, we experience the couple in their more mature years, and the characters who are traditionally their parents are portrayed as their children.
One player, who has remained more or less constant to the traditional form is that of Mercutio, played by Cody Magouirk. His interpretation is excellent overall, but I want to specifically point out his "Queen Mab" speech. This is a speech that leaves many readers and theatre-goers perplexed and confused, if it's not translated well. Magouirk gives an animated, clear illustration of "Queen Mab," one that takes us through the humorous and tragic side of her and her subjects, explicitly displaying that Mercutio has been at the tail end of her string at more than one time. Mercutio is a character that is woven with many complexities and spirited temperament, a difficult personality to tackle, and Magouirk does so with professional ease and experience.
Another individual who deserves mention is E.A. Castillo, who plays Friar Laurence. Castillo has a transparency in their skillset that I've seen only in a few actors throughout the year. This transparency is one that involves taking each moment and each thought as it comes, as if giving the audience access to the wheels turning in their brain, allowing us to see each moment more naturally and honestly. What we're left with, by the end of the play, is a dynamic shift in characterization that is intriguing giving us a strong connection and compassion for the character. I have no doubt in my mind that the range of characters in which Castillo can play is both far and wide; they are definitely someone I will look forward to watching perform again!
Plague Mask Players is certainly turning heads and getting our attention! Indeed, the greatest accomplishment of Michael and Shea McMillan, thus far, is breaking the mold and recreating boundaries for neutrality in terms of gender, race and age. They are exactly what we in the Theatre community have been waiting for. Their newest production of Romeo and Juliet is an exciting new take on an age-old story, and one that should certainly be experienced by all! For ticket information, visit plaguemaskplayers.org
Audience Rating: PG-13 for mature content, violence, death and suicide
Accessible Seating: Available
Hearing Devices: Not available
Sensory Friendly Showing: Not available
Noises and Visuals to Know About: Some abrupt lighting changes
Y'all Enjoy!
Natalie Shaw
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