ROMEO AND JULIET run dates: 7/19/2008 - 7/27/2008 Genesius Guild at the Lincoln Park Classic Theatre, Rock Island, Illinois ____________________________________________________________________________
by Briana Byrd
Most have heard this tragic tale in some form or another. It is the story of two teenagers in love who are from feuding families, and this tragedy is brought to life in the Genesius Guild’s production of Shakespeare’s ROMEO AND JULIET.
As is often the case, the actors in title roles will make or break a show, and this one is no exception. Andy Koski, as Romeo, and Aisha Ragheb, as Juliet, do an excellent job. In particular, Ragheb’s performance gets more passionate with each scene and both do a convincing job as teenagers whose love will not be denied.
Although the actors portraying Romeo and Juliet certainly do shine, neither steal the show or upstage their castmates.
In fact, this production’s standouts are the Nurse (Genesius Guild vet Patti Flaherty) and Mercutio (Michael King). Both of these experienced actors command the stage – drawing audience attention no matter who shares a scene with them. Each also possess the ability to project well – which means we can hear every single line, including all the funny bits – and they keep the audience laughing in almost every scene they appear. King’s performance is also enhanced by the way he uses body language to further emphasize what he is saying.
Other notable performances include that of Pat Flaherty, as Lord Capulet, and of Bob Hanske, who plays Friar Laurence. As Tybalt, Jonathan Gregoire also does exceptional work, and Bryan Woods is excellent as Sampson.
Sometimes in outdoor performances it is hard to hear the actor’s voices (a common enough issue at Genesius Guild’s open-air theater space), but in the performance I attended, I was impressed with each actor’s ability to project clearly. There were only a very few times when I had difficulty hearing the lines of this classic play.
The set, designed by King, is also very impressive. Its lovely simplicity works well for scene changes and eases scene transitions, allowing the actors to enter and exit the stage without cumbersome, time-consuming issues that can sometimes plague big shows. Pacing is also nice and tight, allowing the show to flow by quite effortlessly, thanks to direction from Barbara Carroll.
The multi-talented Aaron Sullivan, who also shows off his acting skills in this production, does an excellent job with the fight choreography, which he created. Each fight scene has realistic and intricate choreography that appears well rehearsed and has believable intensity.
The Genesius Guild does an outstanding job at delivering both humor and drama in their production of Shakespeare’s beloved ROMEO AND JULIET. Don’t miss your chance to visit Lincoln Park and see this classic tale come to life.
