Lantern's "Romeo and Juliet' (3rd review)

The older I get, the more I get out of Romeo and Juliet. In the Lantern's current production, director Charles McMahon makes no artificial reference to modern circumstances, nor does he appeal to anyone's political sensibilities. Instead, he lets Shakespeare be Shakespeare, allowing his actors to deliver near-perfect dialogue interpretations and letting his audience take what it can garner from this story.

A good thing, too. Nowadays the Capulets and Montagues would smooth out their differences on "Dr. Phil" long before Shakespeare got wind of their squabble. I can hear the good doctor now.

"Folks, tonight we have the sad story of two feuding families who don't even know why they're fighting. Then we have a son who didn't think with his head and allowed his friends to lead him on.

"These friends, Benvolio and Mercutio, goaded poor Romeo Montague to follow his gonads. Apparently, Romeo was in love with a Capulet. So his friends encouraged Romeo to seek her out, uninvited, to a party at the Capulets. Only he doesn't find her. Instead he falls madly in love with Capulet's daughter, Juliet.

Hungry for love

"She's just a kid herself. But her cold-hearted mom, whose motives I won't even get into, wants to marry her off to a cousin.

"Now, what we have here is two children crying out for love and understanding. They meet and think they fall in love. Since their families aren't on speaking terms and are trying to kill one another, they turn to a priest for guidance, which is sort of like turning to a poet for therapy.

"Folks, this guy lacks any social work or counseling credentials. And what he does is a doozy: He marries them! What was he thinking?

"Meanwhile, Tybalt, a nephew to a Capulet, kills Mercutio. Then Romeo kills Tybalt. The authorities step in and boot Romeo out of the city. What is going on with these people?

Friar's hidden agenda

"To make matters worse, Juliet's father agrees to marry her off to her cousin. But she's already married, so she runs to the priest. Did he advise her to tell the truth? Of course not; then the priest would get in trouble too.

"Instead, the priest gives Juliet medicine to fake her death. So Juliet takes the fake poison. Romeo, thinking she's dead, commits suicide. Juliet wakes up and kills herself, only this time for real.

"What a bloody mess on our hands. See what happens when you don't talk to your children?

"We have our grief counselors in here to console the Montagues and Capulets. Is it too late for them to learn some positive reinforcement from all of this? Stay tuned."♦


To read another review by Alaina Mabaso, click here.
To read another review by Robert Zaller, click here.