Your reviews of WellPoint presents ROMEO and JULIET
WellPoint presents ROMEO and JULIET began performances at The Indiana Repertory Theatre on January 21, 2010. Reviews are closed on this production.
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WellPoint presents ROMEO and JULIET began performances at The Indiana Repertory Theatre on January 21, 2010. Reviews are closed on this production.
There are 95 Comments to "Your reviews of WellPoint presents ROMEO and JULIET"
I thought that the play Romeo and Juliet was very good. The reason why I thought that was because of many different things.
The actors did very well delivering there lines and using body language to help you understand what they are saying. I also thought at times in the play they could have spoken a little louder, because at times it was hard to hear. The one thing I didn’t think worked was the guy that delivered the prologue was distracting standing back there.
The lighting was excellent. I thought they did a good job with the lighting when they were supposed to be in the grave to make it feel very dark.
The props were very well thought out, especially the blood. It made me think of how they did that, but the set didn’t work for me. It wasn’t as clear when the scene switched.
Overall I would recommend you to see Romeo and Juliet at IRT. It was very entertaining.
Bravo! encore! A round of applause for the cast of Romeo and Juliet. A job well done! I would have to say the next Oscar awards should include you all! What talent that must take to memorize all of those sophisticated lines! Bravo again my friends! I believe the Nurse got my attention from the get go. She kept my attention at the beginning then passed the torch to Romeo.
I thought the lights in the crypt scene was probably the most creative illusion that made me feel as if I was watching the play come to life! It kept my eyes wondering around the set to see what just might happen next. I didn’t want to miss a single detail! Who could forget the sounds? I still can hear the church bells ring and the crickets that made you feel like it was off in the distance.
Marvelous IRT! I have absolutely no suggestions for you. Nor do I have any complaints! I will strongly recommend coming again to see if I missed any detail during my first visit. keep wowing us with your talent and thank you again to the crew, actors, and anyone else who gave a hand in the making of the spectacular play Romeo & Juliet.
In this play, Romeo and Juliet, I would say an award should go to the Nurse. She was very good in her part. She happened to be my favorite character. On the stage, I wish they would have changed the setting up a little bit. For example, when Romeo and Juliet were getting married it seemed like they were in Juliet’s backyard. They did very well on the lighting and sound. It made it interesting. Overall this play was really good. it had good humor and many well played sad parts. Good Job IRT! (:
I thought the play was good. I liked the nurse and thought she was the best actor. The way they made it look like people were dying was really good too. I thought the play was to long. After intermission I thought the play got boring and I wasn’t interested. The actors did a good job overall and they made it believable. I wouldn’t go see it again just because I personally didn’t like it that much but others might have.
I saw the Sunday Matinee at the IRT center and was incredibly moved by the performance of the actors. They showed an astounding amount of perpetual emotion toward each and everyone of their characters. Almost every detail in what I believe William Shakespeare would have hoped to achieve in his play, was captured with a humbling passion that, from my views captured most of the audience. However I did feel a bit lethargic toward the ending of the play.
Around ten minutes into the play after intermission, the energy of the actors and their portrayals waned, and began a steady descent of a general lagging feel. Of course this lack of enthusiasm lost my interest along with several of my neighbors. It was my impression that the ending lacked the reveling astonishment and sorrow that it required. However, the beginning of the play was fantastic and full of emotional inquiries that I think the audience enjoyed.
I deeply enjoyed the play. IRT did a wonderful job of translating Shakespeare to the 1940′s. I myself went to the student matinee on February 26, and even though it is only the second performance from the center that I have been to, I already feel connected to the actors there. The play was a phenomenon, and I think it is unfair to judge IRT so harshly. For one thing, it’s not like they tied you to a chair and beat you in the face repeatedly while acting. You paid for the ticket, and decided to see the play. It is not their fault. The music seemed to match the mood almost all the time. I will say that Benvolio and Juliet were a bit difficult to hear, but the nurse did an excellent job at making the play realistic. The knife fights were cool, and the effects were also realistic. I don’t see why sixth graders would be even studying Romeo and Juliet when they probably haven’t studied barely any of the language used, but I understand that it was a bit graphic. Mercutio was hilarious, but after he was killed, it seemed that all comedy was cut out of the play. And at the final scene, where Romeo and Juliet kill themselves, it seemed to drag on, like they were not even trying anymore. I rank it a 4 out of 5. Congratulations for a wonderful performance IRT!
I thought that the IRT reenactment of Romeo and Juliet was very well presented and brought joy to myself and other audience members. It brought Shakespeare’s classic play to a modern time and helped myself understand what Shakespeare wrote much better. The way that the actors/actresses, stage crew, and directors presented the story helped me understand the story much better and made it entertaining to watch as well.
I would say the actors and actresses did a very good job of portraying the parts. I realize how hard it is to act as some of the characters, but I thought that they did a very good job of bringing out the characters actions and personality. I thought that the parts presented would be challenging to fill, but they did a great job with them. One of the parts I would have to criticize unfortunately was the last scene. It was well presented, but I didn’t feel the emotion that I thought I would feel in this scene. I thought I would feel more grief but I just didn’t have the emotions expected.
The stage was very well designed. It really set the scene and helped the story seem more real. Using props is always one of my favorite things to see in a pay, and I thought that the props used were appropriate and very well thought out. The way the blood was made was very interesting I couldn’t ever see the actors put the blood on their costumes. It was very well planned out and was very interesting to watch.
The sound and lights were very well used. You couldn’t hear the sounds so much but when you needed to it was heard and added an amazing effect to the presentation of the play. The lights used during the first time Romeo and Juliet meet was very well used. It highlighted the most important part of the play and made the audience want to watch what was going on even more. The sounds used during Romeo’s banishment were very well used and added to the emotion that was happening in the scene.
Overall I thought the play presented at the IRT theatre was very well presented and a very pleasant play to watch and enjoy throughout the play. I hope you take into consideration not only my opinions but the opinions of other viewers, to make the play even better. I highly recommend this play to anyone who hasn’t seen it.
In my opinion the play was a pretty good one. I loved how the actors used there surroundings, especially when they would walk right off the stage into the audience. When the actors did walk off the stage it made the play seemed more real. Sadly though I think after the intermission the play dragged on a just little bit. I just seemed liked the first part had high action but the second part slowed down. I also didn’t like when Tybalt and Mercutio were fighting and they get hit with something and all of a sudden there would be a clashing sound effect. I just felt like it made the action seem cheesy and not intense at all.
I did love that the play was set in the 50s and not the Elizabethan age though. It made the play seem more relatable and I personally liked it more. So overall I would give this play 3.5 star out of 5 stars.
I thought Romeo and Juliet at IRT was a great play. The cast was amazing. Everyone did a good job of playing their part. I especially liked the nurse; she was a great comic relief. Also I thought the cast did a good job of changing the time period of the play. They also did a good job of keeping the audience’s attention. I never got bored during the play.
In my opinion, I think that the IRT version of the play was better at getting teenagers attention. I think sometimes Shakespeare’s writing is very hard to understand. I thought the way that the actors and actresses acted the play out really helped me understand what Romeo and Juliet is about. A lot of times it is hard to understand a play by just reading through it. It was so nice being able to see it in person, it definitely made it easier for me to understand the piece.
When I saw the play I generally thought that it was well done. Since I saw the play twice I noticed some things about it. Here are some things I thought about the play.
One thing that AI thought is that the play started to drag in the end. I think this because the emotions of the characters weren’t very strong. When Romeo was in the tomb of Juliet it didn’t make me feel much emotion because it felt like there wasn’t a lot of sadness expressed. Also, I didn’t get why Romeo killed the Prince because I don’t recall it being in the scripts. It also seems like it didn’t have to be in the play because it doesn’t have any impact.
My overall generalization is that it was good. The main thing that I think would make the play better is if there was more emotion in the end of the play. This is what I think of the IRT version of Romeo and Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet was a good play, I thought that the actors did a great job. During the play I thought that the nurse was pretty funny, I liked how they changed the play into a modern day Romeo and Juliet. The setting was cool, and my favorite scene of the play was right before the intermission, and the lights got dimmer and dimmer and it kept me in the play.
The audience there was mostly teenagers and one part in the play some person in the audience said “eww”, then everyone started to laugh but during that scene it was supposed to be sad so it like ruined the whole scene. During the play there were very good scenes and some scenes that weren’t as good. I thought that at the end of the play that the last scene should have been better than what it should’ve been. Other than that last part the play Romeo and Juliet was very good.
I enjoyed the play Romeo and Juliet. There were many things that I liked about it. My favorite part of the play were the actors. They did a good job memorizing all of their lines. They also did a good on expressing their emotions. The costumes of the actors were also good. I liked how they didn’t keep on the same costumes for the whole play. The sound effects also fit the play really well. Sometimes, you couldn’t even tell that something was playing because it was so quiet. The lighting was also good. I liked how they would shine the lights on one side of the stage, while the other side would exit without you noticing. The stage was neat how they hardly changed the props, but still found a way to use them. I think that the audience also enjoyed the play. They had many reactions all throughout it. I think that the second half was more boring that the first half. It was harder to follow and stay concentrated. Overall though, I really enjoyed the play.
My over all opinion of the Romeo and Juliet play was that it was very well done. I really enjoyed the play. The stage, props, and costumes match the time of year that they director set. I will say my most favorite scene was when Juliet, was talking bad about old people. Saying that they are lame, useless, slow, and things like that. While the Nurse was standing there listen the Juliet rattle on and on. One thing that I can say is that the scene where Romeo and Juliet commit suicide because of love for each other. I felt that there was not enough emotion. That scene didn’t make me feel like I need to cry or feel the pain that they are going through. I think if they sounded more emotional, and showed it more it would be better. But I will over all I was very impressed by everything.
I really liked the Romeo and Juliet play at the IRT, because of all the emotion displayed in all the actors/actresses. The costumes worn by Juliet were beautiful, and really bright to symbolize how truly young she is. All the performers played their part so well; I thought I was really witnessing it the way Shakespeare intended it to be seen. The sounds in the courtroom were a little cliché though. The part where Romeo and Juliet were dead or dying just didn’t have enough emotion. This was Shakespeare’s greatest play and the IRT did a fantastic job producing it.
ROMEO AND JULIET REVIEW
On Friday, February 26 my English class attended the Romeo and Juliet play, done by your production at the IRT. I think this play was done well; I believe the actors’ fir their part. The stage was set-up well. The play used props, sound, and lights very good. I think the audience affects the way you see the play. I also saw the normal one for mature audience and it was a different affect for me to take when I watched the play for the student audience. The kids were very immature and laughed on serious parts. I liked how well the play followed the original Shakespeare. After seeing the play it was easier for me to understand, the Romeo and Juliet piece by W.Shakespeare. I think the end of the play needed more emotion. I thought that would be the biggest, most expressed scene and it was the weakest. My favorite part of the play was the humor and emotion gave off by the Nurse. She was my favorite. I enjoyed the humor; it helped keep the play interesting.
A wonderful performance is what you’d receive if you were to visit IRT for a production of Romeo and Juliet. Our ninth grade English class did so on Friday the 26th. Shakespeare’s play was brought to life with amazing visual effects. The stage, props, and costumes were all set in the 50’s time period. Visual ad sound effects were well constructed also. The last scene before the intermission was chilling with the help of these aids. The audience reacted well to the occasional humor; though the ending scenes lacked some emotional feeling.
Romeo and Juliet Play Review
I went to see the play, Romeo and Juliet with Highland High School on Friday, February 26, 2010. I think Romeo and Juliet was a good play. It was funny. The nurse and Mercutio were funny. I liked how whenever there was a fight, they used fake blood and it looked realistic. Romeo and Juliet played their roles well. I was confused when they faked their deaths because I thought Juliet was really dead, but Romeo ended up killing himself, too. It went along with the written play very well. The props were good enough. The car was used well. When Mercutio was drunk and slept in the car, I forgot he was even there. The costumes were modern and went well with the play. The actors overall did a good job with their performances. I liked the play and in some ways, it was funny.
I have to admit that I did not look at the reviews prior to the performance and wish I had. I must agree with Ron. I was taken back by the adult content of the show. You had listed it as appropreate for 7th graders or above. I think you missed the mark by a number of years. I was truly offended and rather than make a scene in the middle of the first act, we decided to leave at the intermission.
We have seen a number of Shakespeare performances and this was by far the worst interpretation of a great play. Very disappointed!
I had high hopes for the play last night. I have seen two other modern adaptations from IRT; first Hamlet… loved everything about it and Macbeth, which was also very enjoyable. First let me say that I loved the stage, the set, and the overall presentation. The early 50s setting and the racial elements were dynamic additions to the story line. Claire Aubin Forte’s portrayal of Juliet was like a breath of fresh air… she was a delight to watch as she floated across the stage with all the enthusiasm of a young girl in the throws of emotion encountering first love’s kiss! Likewise Karen Aldridge was a nurse to be reckoned with, she had me in tears laughing at one point and made me tense in empathy with her when she is accosted on her way home from market. I can’t wait to see future productions with both these women. That said, overall I would have to give the show a mediocre, 3 of five stars. It wasn’t deplorable, nor was it extremely enjoyable. I have to say the crass tone of Mercutio and the vulgarity of actions that accompanied his dramatization made this play less, rather than more. The whole idea of Shakespearean language is the double entendres that add muse and lightheartedness to the dialog. This was illustrated beautifully in the nurse and some of her lines. I also found the friar acting also as narrator to be confusing and distracting. Finally, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo… not at the IRT. Erik Hellman would have made a perfect Benvolio, but as Romeo, he was not believable. In fact, at times it appeared he was more fondly bound to Mercutio. When one thinks of Romeo there is a hope that he will be debonair, (not slouching), suave (not timid), and able to make heart swoon (not childlike). I have no doubt that Erik is a fine actor this was just not the role for him. I was surprised at the number of people that walked out of the theater at intermission. In my area alone, there were several. I can’t say my reaction was that strong; however of all the IRT productions I have seen, I have to say this ranks as the one I have liked least!
Interesting how the word ‘force’ can be used, isn’t it? When a Nativity scene, for instance, is put on display in a public area people complain that the Christian message is being ‘forced’ upon them, when in actuality, the public is certainly free to pass by and ignore the display. In contrast, when a person purchases a ticket to a performance, he ‘buys’ a seat specifically to view/hear the message of the entertainers. While he is sitting in his seat, he most certainly IS forced to hear or see whatever is before him, unless he chooses to use a blindfold or earplugs. [At a recent symphony evening, the conductor kindly allowed those of us who did not want to know the half-time Colts score to cover our ears, ie., he clearly knew that otherwise we would be forced to hear his words.] This production was clearly marketed for 7th graders [and honors 6th graders]. My point was that the play could have been a much more thoughtful, enriching experience, especially in the area of rivalry between opposing family/racial backgrounds. Instead, the story was overshadowed by what the kids remembered: the ‘great fake blood scenes’ and potty humor. We were moved to tears at the end of a Russian production of Romeo and Juliet – and it was a ballet w/ no words. But the story line couldn’t have been more poignant.
As a response to Ron, you were not forced to see anything. Though I would not say this version is appropriate for school-age children, certainly not middle school students. Though the updated costumes and stage and acting did help me translate the Shakespearian language that I do not understand. I found this play to be very entertaining. I do have to say though, that sitting in the front row, I almost was spattered with stage blood. Thank goodness I was sitting one seat over!
As usual, you stand out as one of the best places to see a play. I always take my students to IRT at least once a year because I know that the experience will be something they will always remember. It is worth the six hours on a school bus. Thanks again for another great production. I am never disappointed.
I like the play alot it was hard to understand but I could make out what you all were saying. I thought with all the distractions you all did very well with shutting them out.
I really enjoyed Romeo and Juliet. I had read Shakespeare’s play freshman year and had really liked it. But after seeing it set in the 1950′s, it put a whole new dimension to my understanding of the play. All of the actors did a fantastic job! But my personal favorite was the nurse. Great job IRT
This play was AWESOME!!!! I think that everybody in the play did an amazing job. I really liked the nurse. She was very fun and exciting. I was afraid coming into this play that it would not be that exciting but I was soooo wrong. Thank you so much for presenting such a great show and I hope that I get the chance to come back again.
I really liked it. I thought I wasn’t going to understand the words, but for the most part I did. It kept me paying attention, and I like the idea that their was some funny parts in it. I would like to go back again and watch some more of your plays. I enjoyed it very much. The actors did a really good job.
I thought the play was absolutely amazing! Regardless of all the things they cut out, it was great. I had not been to many plays before this one, due to uncertainty about whether I would like it or not. But after seeing your play it blew me away, I was in awe. Watching your play made me change my mind and I will defiantly go to more plays. My favorite character was Mercutio was defiantly my favorite. He took his role and made it stand out.
This show was GREAT!
Taking Shakespear and turning it into a more modern version made it easier to relate to. A few of the actors and actresses really turned the stage around and made it seem more fun than it already was. The acting was top notch it compared or out did other actors (including movies). They all did a spectacular performance. I will defiantly come back.
I really enjoyed the production of Romeo and Juliet. I believe that the actors and actresses did a very good job of expressing their character. I would love to come see it again. It represented what went on in America during the time period. I loved the production of Romeo and Juliet.
I thought the play was amazing, although the other schools that were there were very rude. So that was a little bit of a bother. The actors did so well though. My fav was juliet.
I really like the play. I enjoyed how they managed to put the play into a more modern setting. At first I was very skeptical of how well this could be done, and thought that I would much rather see a more traditional version. However, I was proven very wrong about how well it could be done, and actually think that it was better this way. Overall I would say that it was a really good play.
I thought that the play was AMAZING and so good. They actors were so good and they did a GREAT job. I was amazed even though they took out a few things in the play I could still fallow along. I kind of understand they play while reading it but not as well as I did when they were actually acting it out. They helped me understand shake spear a little more and I would love to see more plays if I can later on down the road. GREAT JOB everyone and keep up the good work you were great. I LOVED IT!
I ENJOYED IT!
The overall acting was very good. Nurse-AMAZING! She really brightened the stage. I was impressed with how well the story was told in a modern sense. The way the actors lived out the words they were saying made it very understandable, but they still kept it in Shakespeare’s language.
I think the IRT has done another wonderful play, and I will most definitely come back!
P.S. Disregard the negative comments, certain people just do not understand that Shakespeare can be made fun and exciting in many different ways, not just with tights and monotone poet readers.
GREAT PLAY!!!!!!!!!!
I was really impressed with this production of Romeo and Juliet. This has never been one of my favorites from Shakespare, but I thought they preformed it very well. I thought the actors were very good at making the Shakespearean language understandable to everyone. The only thing I thought could have been better, was helping the audience understand the importance of Friar in the play, but besides that it was very enjoyable.
I thought this play was great! I usually do not like plays at all, they are usually very boring, but I really liked this one! I remember reading this play in class a couple years ago, and I couldn’t interpret it. When we watched the play, it was like it was in plain English! They knew exactly how to act and move, so you knew what they were trying to say. I was definitely very surprised! The actors were very good at making a serious love tryst, kind of funny. Also, for some reason, the actor who played Romeo, reminded me of the main character in grease.
Over all, I would recommend that you go and see this play. It will surprise you in many ways.
I really enjoyed the show. It wasn’t just a regular play, it was very funny. Most plays are serious and you have to be quiet the whole time, but we were able to laugh and have fun. I thought the actors did a wonderful job. Thanks for putting on a good production!
This play was amazing!! I absolutely loved it! I never thought about Romeo & Juliet being portrayed like that and being set in the 50′s was very cool. Seeing this play really opened up my mind to different interpretations of Shakespeare’s work.
As one who regularly supports the arts here in Indianapolis, including the IRT, I apparently missed the point of your ’20th century make-over’. First of all, I do not appreciate being forced to watch abject crassness, when the original play had intelligent puns and double entendres, meaning TWO interpretations were possible. The black/white element was a virtual non-issue, compared to the base, suposedly ‘comical?’ bottle/body parts enactments and the overly bloody fights to the death. Who was it that deemed this appropriate fare for 6th graders, pray tell? I mistakenly thought that 400 years on, we might have progressed a bit from the sewers of the Elizabethan era. As a white Southerner who grew up w/ African-American neighbors, I have never felt like the racial divide was anywhere near as offensive as the moral divide. Indeed, the actors weren’t ‘buried by their taboo-defying romance’; they were buried by a ‘modern’ society whose standards still seemed to wallow w/ the pigs, no matter how many classy clothes they put on. Karen Aldridge’s performance was a highlight, but that said, we still left at intermission.
I really enjoyed this production and loved the modern adaption of the Shakespearean play. I thought some of the depictions might be inappropriate for anyone younger than high school though. Juliet did a marvelous job and overall the acting was top notch. The actors really made this play their own. Even you if you could not understand the Shakespearean language, the acting made it possible for the audience to know exactly what was going on. l I always enjoy seeing plays at the IRT and try to go on my birthday. This show did not disappoint and I’d recommend everyone see it! Thanks IRT for putting on another wonderful production.
The play was very good and the actors did a fantastic job. I did find it a bit difficult to listen to the Shakespearean language while looking at 1900′s costumes, but the actors made it possible to overcome this. Again, they were wonderful.
I would, however, like to recommend that you NOT use the valet parking when you go. We had to wait for over an HOUR to get our car after the show. It was an “extremely” dissappointing end to the evening to say the least.
Note from IRT:
Saturday was a very busy day for downtown Indianapolis. There was Motocross at Lucas Oil, a state wrestling competition at Conseco, and a state cheer competition that was taking place at several of the downtown hotels. Normally we are able to handle the overflow when there are one or two large events, but the excess activity left our valet parking company vulnerable in many areas. One of the hotels released the valet spots we normally reserved without prior warning, making it necessary for our valet team to park cars further away than normal. On top of that, because of the extra traffic downtown, the police made the decision that day to control the flow by blocking various streets – making it extremely difficult for our valet parkers to get to the normal route they would take to bring the cars around to the one-way Washington Street. They were stuck in traffic and then had to re-route when they came to a closed street. Normally we are told at least a week in advance when streets will be blocked and can plan accordingly.
I have been an IRT subscriber for more than 15 years and I must say I love IRT. Most of the time the plays are well done, stimulating, and beautifully staged. However I feel compelled to say please stop doing Shakespeare! I have seen every IRT production of Shakespeare in the past 15 years and not one has been remarkable in the good sense. This production was very disappointing. Parts of the play were overlooked, characters not used, some of the actors overplayed their roles while others hardly showed up. The lines were not spoken not in the lovely fluid, poetic style of Shakespeare. It seemed to me the lines were delivered in an affected manner. Methinks you think your audience is unable to “hear” Shakespeare! The play jumped all over the place. And what was the point of making the characters look like American TV or movie personae…Romeo the Fonz, the Friar a Blues Brother, Benvolio from the revenge of the nerds and Mercutio a really bad Eddie Haskell. I am sorry to say I would not recommend this production to anyone. If you have realized you do not have the breadth to perform Shakespeare then don’t. Do what you do well and leave the rest.
Romeo & Juliet at IRT is all concept and no play. The Capulet’s are Black and The Montegue’s are White (well, only Romeo remains). Oh my! How revolutionary! (cue West Side Story overture). Some actors escaped unscathed. Mercutio (although much older than his companions), the Nurse who really takes her role and makes it work in this jumbled cut of the play, as well as the Capulets who remain much as Shakespeare wrote them. The title characters although they look the parts, do not act them, remaining polite strangers to passion, suffering and emotion. They take sexual desire and that long goodnight on the “balcony” in their unsmitten stride, which is no Shakespearian way to take love in it’s first flush. The Friar is really the most damaged character of the production. Who is he? Positioned somewhat as the stage manager ala “Our Town”, he lingers around scenes he is not a part of and is oft times unintelligible (some due his staging). Benvolio also suffers from mush-mouth diction and his unfortunate “Leave it to Beaver” costuming. The set also confines the production. At first it was a striking visual but became limiting as the sprawling expanse of the piece unfolded. Especially when Romeo was banished in Mantua but was in fact sitting on the hood of his car which had not moved. There is a reason Shakespeare used a bare stage. As soon as you start anchoring the play in place you are paralyzed. Same could be said of Juliet’s bedroom on grass. What? And when we go to tomb. The bed is gone but the dresser remains. Uh? All in all, not IRT’s best effort.
I went to see Romeo & Juliet last night and walked out after the first act. This was not one of your better productions. I could barely understand what the friar was saying. He was not looking at the audience. I believe that it was quite violent and not suitable to young students especially in light of what is going on in our city in regards to crime and the slowdown in the economy. This season overall is pretty depressing. I suggest being like Hollywood and providing your audience with something to laugh at and feel good about. I would suggest having a Neil Simon play or something happy.
My sister and I brought our mother to your production R & J. Because of its bizarre nature, we had to leave at the intermission. We have been season ticket holders for years and while we expect IRT to produce different yet interesting plays, this production was too much. It is very hard to hear and see 50s tough guys spouting Shakespeare.
I appreciate the idea of making Shakespeare more availble to the masses but this missed the mark.
Here are comments from our preview audiences
“It was a fabulous show!”
“This is my favorite Romeo & Juliet ever! The characters deliver their lines so naturally and with such good inflection that Shakespeare comes alive again. BRAVO!”
“It was entertaining. It kept my attention, which is more than I can say for a lot of Shakespeare’s plays.” “It was wonderful; I loved it! This was our first time to do something like this (live theatre). We will be back.”
Audience comments from the opening weekend of WellPoint presents William Shakespeare’s ROMEO JULIET:
“Tell the cast it was a wonderful show.”
“I’m used to Shakespeare being the same, but this show was really good.”
“We thought the staging was excellent. The family/racial issues translated well from century to century. We particularly enjoyed Ryan and Karen’s performances.”
“The actors did a great job making Shakespeare understandable. The interpretation was wonderful.”
“I don’t usually enjoy Shakespeare, but the enunciation and inflections made the language so clear to be enjoyable.”
“Simply wonderful!”
“So, so good!”
“Terrific job!”
“It was very good!”
“Wonderful show!”
“Excellent!”
“David’s inflection on the words really brought the language to life.”
“We loved it!”
This performance of Romeo and Juliet was my favorite of all IRT Shakespearean productions. I often find the language of the period confusing without a lot of study, but something about this presentation made things make sense. Of all of the performances of Romo and Juliet that I have seen over the years, this has been my favorite.
We saw “Romeo & Juliet” on opening night. Our comments, if we were as eloquent, would echo Father Giannini’s. The setting of the play in a period just after WWII, and having the Montagues white and the Capulets black, helps to make sense of the hatred between the two families. That sense is heightened by the relative wealth of the Capulets. When played in Elizabethan style, there is no clear answer from Shakespeare as to why there is such hatred between them.
The language throughout is Shakespeare’s language, but it quickly seems so conversational that one does not realize that it has not been updated. One of the consequences is that one hears lines that one does not remember ever hearing before. That happened frequently enough that we came home after the play and looked up certain of the lines just to verify that they were in the play. They were.
Setting the play in a time close to our own only serves to verify that Shakespeare’s themes are universal. The irrational familial (racial) hatred, the love of two teenagers who cross the line, the mistaken attempt to help by the friar, the violence – all are as relevant today as they were in Shakespeare’s time. The IRT’s production puts it all out there for the audience to see.
This is not “West Side Story.” This is “Romeo & Juliet” made more relevant by setting, not by language. This is a production not to be missed by anyone who loves Shakespeare.
The IRT’s performance of Romeo and Juliet was very well done. They really targeted this new age by making it possible for not only adults to understand but children as well. People who hadn’t even read or seen the play before were able to follow along and know what was happening. They didn’t wear tights or fluffy hats, they actually wore jeans and sneakers. The time period was set in post WWII in good old Indiana. They still used the original language but they were able to make the words their own and understandable. Another very helpful thing they did was that Juliet’s family was African American and Romeo’s posy was Caucasian. It really played that extra role as to why their love was forbidden and it also helped discern who was who. The actors played their parts well and were able to take the well known story of Romeo and Juliet and keep people wanting to know more. This was a wonderful experience and I would recommend this play to everyone.
To transport a Shakespearean play into another time period is always a risk. The IRT took this risk by placing “Romeo and Juliet” in America in the 1940s with one opposing family white and the other black. It not only works, it works marvelously. The conception and the execution are stunning. Shakespeare’s ideas come alive in surprising ways; we actually do grasp the familial conflicts, we actually see the lovers as they really are: star-crossed teeny boppers; the friar is the quintessentail example of pastoral care gone awry. This production is a rarity that should not be missed.
We have the opportunity again to enjoy actors who are well-know to IRT audiences as well as some very exciting new ones. It is easy to see how Romeo ( Erik Hellman in a solid performance) can so quickly fall for Claire Aubin Forte’s lively Juliet. We all do! She is effervescent teenage beauty in all its zany and paradoxical perfection. And there could not be a better and more believable nurse than Karen Aldridge. From beginning to end she interprets her role in ways that straightforwardly and compellingly bridge the gap between the age of Renaissance Italy and the age of mid-twentieth century America. Her’s is acting at its very best.
Do not hesitate. Even if you are tired of Romeo and Juliet and sceptical about urban Americans speaking in Elizabethean English, get to the IRT. It works. It more than works. This city should be deeply thankful that the IRT took the risk to attempt such a new, different, and successful approach to a proven classic.