Romeo and Juliet, Bear Theatre

June 19-21 and 26-28, Community High School Theater, 7:00 pm (Sunday at 2), nearly 3 hours run time, one intermission.

This production surprised me -- good surprises, mostly! 

I love Bear Theatre (officially called Exit, Pursued by a Bear, a name drawn from a different Shakespeare play).  I love them for two reasons: 1, they are downtown (so I can walk, bike, or take a bus to get there, unlike many other theaters in our area), and 2, they are unabashedly a community theater. 

This production featured several actors I'd never seen before, and only a handful of old favorites. Director Les Epstein created a big tent in this production - a wide range of actors, a wide range of ages and backgrounds. Such a setup is exciting and invites surprises - of which there were many.

Good surprises included: 

1. Celebrity Cameos. Such a fun idea, and a great way to invite new audiences to engage with theater. I went tonight (6/19) and saw Kimberly McBroom from WDBJ7 in the party scene. If I understand correctly, the party guests for the rest of the run will be Judge Robert S. Ballou (6/20), WSLQ's David Page (6/21), Delegate Sam Rasoul (6/26), and JD Sutphin from Big Lick Entertainment (6/28). 

2. The set. I've enjoyed Tina Edwards's sets before, and this one was particularly well designed. I got such a kick out of the fold up bed (even though it seemed a bit cumbersome), the surprise balcony, and the tucked-away platform for the sepulcher. Plus, the upper window featured someone dumping their chamber pot - what a hoot! This stage is a small one, and this cast was a large one, but they always found a way to make it work. That's no small thing.

3. The music. They had nice renaissance music playing before, after, and sometimes during the production. I really like that style of music, so it was fun to hear. 

There were more good surprises but I want to save that for the end. Let me tell you some of the, well, interesting surprises in this production. 

1. The script. Director Les Epstein may have cut the script a bit (?) but not by much. I had the sense that we were getting the entire original Shakespeare play, soup to nuts. With Roanoke College's really stellar 95 minute production of R&J fresh in my mind, I found it surprising that this production featured the whole play in its glorious entirety. There are plusses to this decision. For example, I had completely forgotten that lady Montague dies of a broken heart when Romeo got banished, or that Romeo actually says kind words over Paris after killing him. It also gives those of us who are of a literary bent the opportunity to savor every word. I actually really enjoyed getting all that Shakespeare dumped into my ear-holes. It's a good feeling. But, you know, it's pretty darn long. You've been warned. They serve coffee at intermission for a reason.

2. The costumes. To costume a cast of 24 actors, many of whom play several parts or need several outfits, in something resembling 16th century Italian garb, is no small thing. Stevie Holcomb's work on the costumes must have been a heavy lift; the program mentions help from the Convery Fmaily on fabrics, trim, etc. Some of the costumes were especially lovely - everything worn by Lincoln Sklar's captivating Lady Capulet, for example, was delightful. Other costumes, well, let's just say that if you find your mind wandering a bit during a long monologue, you can peruse the many loud colors, patterns, shapes and sizes of the multifarious clothing that everyone is wearing on stage. Again, it's a big tent.

3. A few directing choices. I confess I occasionally found myself wondering "why?" with a few of the choices in this production. For a play that's so very long, why start the entire play with the actors wordlessly acting out the plot that is to come, for about five minutes? Why add a subdued and frankly distracting dance to a famous monologue (Mercutio's Queen Mab)? Why not arrange the bodies, in the final death scene, into something a bit more, well, visually beautiful? (The audience must stare at their sprawling bodies for several minutes while the prince cross-examines Friar Lawrence about what happened. We deserve to think "awww" or "how lovely" rather than "boy that looks uncomfortable" while we do so.)

Back to the really good surprises.

4. The actors. Kudos to Epstein for finding good actors - many of whom were newcomers - and coaching them well. I understood nearly every word they said, without use of microphones. All had excellent elocution, which is very important for Shakespeare, and nobody rushed or hurried their lines. Sometimes too many female actors means too much high-pitched whining in the second act (this was a problem at Roanoke College this spring), but Epstein kept away from this problem. Some actors were better than others, of course (this is community theater!) but a few actors really stood out, and kept me captivated the whole time. 

After just a few lines out of the amazingly expressive mouth of Callie Winters (Benvolio), I was rifling through my program. Who is this actor and why have I never seen her before? She nearly stole the show with her swashbuckling physical humor, perfectly timed delivery, and off-the-charts charisma. I've never seen a Romeo and Juliet where Benvolio outshines Mercutio, but there you have it. (And David Colatosti did a very strong job with Mercutio!) 

Sally Miller's nurse was ably executed and got many laughs, though something in her delivery left me cold. Moriah Hinshaw's Juliet was a terrific foil to the nurse character. I had seen, and been impressed by, Hinshaw in Never After Happily this spring - to see her do Shakespearean tragedy was a real treat. She was clear in delivery, showed real strength, and was entirely believable as Juliet.

Ben Moreno's Lord Capulet was strong and clear, and Sklar's Lady Capulet really showed depth. Simon Mitchell-Wolf brought some compelling charisma to Paris, which is hard to do with a small role like that. Simon Adkins's affable Friar Lawrence will ripen well by the second weekend - I can tell he's nearly there with his lines, and after a few more performances will be everyone's favorite holy man. Vickie Haynie's delivery of the prologue and role as the apothecary were just plain delightful.

I'm saving Andalyn Powell's Romeo for last. She knocked my socks off. I don't like the Romeo character in this play. But I liked Powell. As soon as she faced the audience with those stunning blue eyes and husky voice, I saw something in Romeo that I'd never seen before: real passion. "Passion lends them power," according to the 2nd act chorus (which is often cut from shorter productions - I was glad to hear these words tonight). Powell channeled this power through Romeo, showing him not a moony romantic or a whiner but a brightly burning flame. Who is also hilarious with physical comedy, flawless in vocalizations, and deeply charismatic. I was completely captivated by this rendition of Romeo. Hats off to Powell, who I also have never seen act before but now can't wait to see again.

5.  The balcony scene. This is the best balcony scene I've ever seen. I do not say that lightly. I won't spoil it for you. But it is not to be missed. Trust me.

Should you go see this play? Resoundingly, yes. You will be surprised and delighted. It's worth every penny, and every minute. You might not cry, but you will definitely laugh, and you will feel the power of the passion that clearly drives this production.