Review By Rae Hunt, Front Row Reviewers
I was privileged to attend Parker Theatre’s production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. This tragic story, written in the 1590s, has been retold many times and in many ways. There’s something to be said about a story that speaks to us and that we can relate to. This story, told from the perspective of a feud between the Capulet and Montegue families, can be considered symbolic of factions we experience in our daily lives. While the cause of the feud is never disclosed in the play, we still see the effects from the division of the “our side versus their side” mentality. Romeo and Juliet themselves are victims of this division. Wanting to be together in spite of the differences between their families and unable to find a way forward together without angering their families, they find themselves caught in a hopeless situation where they cannot win.
The story itself follows Romeo (Dallin Suman) who is smitten with the fair Rosaline and he decides to go to the Capulet dinner party in hopes of seeing her. Instead, he sees Rosaline’s cousin Juliet (Isabelle Purdie) and immediately falls in love with her. During the party, Romeo, along with his friends Mercutio (Spencer Hohl), Benvolio (Brendan Hanks), and Balthasar (James Carter) are discovered and chased away by Juliet’s cousin Tybalt (Zachary Ballard) and the other Capulets. Later, Romeo returns and convinces Juliet of his love and implores her to run away and marry him the following day. They secretly meet up with Friar Lawrence (Palmer Scott) the following afternoon and wed.
This would be a fine place to end the story. However, Tybalt refuses to cease his bickering with the Montegues and Romeo’s friends keep egging him on. Eventually, Tybalt kills Mercutio (Spencer Hohl) and then forces a confrontation with Romeo as well. Romeo defends himself and, in the process, kills Tybalt. The Prince (Lucas Charon) is summoned and instead of sentencing Romeo to death as the law requires, chooses to banish him instead.
Juliet has her own angst as her father wishes to marry her to Paris (Michael Kelly) being unaware that Juliet has already married Romeo in secret. Juliet refuses to marry Paris and appeals to Friar Lawrence for help. He provides a special potion that should put her into a deathlike state and prevent her father from forcing her to marry Paris. The friar also makes arrangements to inform Romeo of this plan so that he can meet up and take Juliet with him when she awakes. Will the friar’s message make it to Romeo in time? Will Juliet’s plan be foiled? Whether you know the ending to this tale or not, Parker Theatre’s take on this beloved story is truly a delight to watch.
Suman is a delightfully eager young man who embodies the role of Romeo perfectly. He presents a youthful stereotype of a man who’s blind to everything but the love in front of his face. He has great chemistry with Purdie’s Juliet and together it has us wishing that these two young lovers can have their happy ever after. Suman delivers his lines clearly and with wit. It’s very easy to get caught up in the verbal banter Romeo has with his comrades and with Juliet. No wonder Juliet fell for him. Isabelle Purdie has always dreamt of playing Juliet and has brought this iconic character to life with her captivating performance. She has the poise and countenance for Juliet and her interactions with Romeo are completely believable. She has such a great range of ability from being a young flirtatious girl to being heartbroken upon finding Romeo’s body after he kills himself to be with her in death. Purdie is by far a perfect choice for this character.
Romeo’s friends Mercutio (Hohl), Benvolio (Hanks), and Balthasar (Carter) are a delightful trio. Hohl is fantastic as the witty Mercutio and he plays this role to a T and when he is killed by Tybalt I felt sad. Hanks and Carter do well with comedic moments as well and it’s funny the way the three play up how hot the day is in one of their scenes. You can tell they have a great camaraderie with Romeo and each other.
On Juliet’s side, we have her close cousin Tybalt (Zachary Ballard) and her Nurse (Madeline Thatcher) who appear to be a couple. Ballard as Tybalt is headstrong and brash. He very much wants to fight and comes across as enjoying the conflicts between their families. He’s very convincing in this role. Thatcher has done a fantastic job at being Juliet’s confidant and friend but also a person of her own with honest feelings. You really feel for her when Tybalt is killed and again when she discovers Juliet in her state of death. Her emotions feel genuine and heartfelt.
The heads of both the Capulet and Montegue families appear intermittently throughout the story. Capulet (Joseph Kyle Rogan) and Lady Capulet (Hillary McChesney) are Juliet’s parents. Rogan and McChesney do a fantastic job of being concerned with status. They are forceful when trying to convince Juliet that she must marry Paris and I felt for Juliet with how believably her parents disown her for not wishing to marry Paris. Montegue (Bryson Dumas) and Lady Montegue (Missy Stebbing) appear less frequently but they truly want what’s best for their only son. The emotion Dumas puts into his portrayal of Montegue is palpable. When Romeo’s father faces his wife’s passing away due to a broken heart over the banishment of their son, it is very real. Stebbing in her own right does an excellent performance when Lady Montegue becomes ill and must be carried away.
Charon has a brief role as the Prince but he does excellently with this part. He carries himself regally and delivers his lines authoritatively. Abraham, the servant who can’t read, is played by Zebulon Van Hoffman, and it’s enjoyable to watch him playing out his tasks with misunderstandings. While this role was written hundreds of years ago, Van Hoffman delivers with a feeling of improv. It’s very clever. Additionally, Cameron Westland as Peter is great as a household servant. There is humor in his scene with Nurse and Romeo which is rather enjoyable to watch.
Set design and lighting by James Parker is wonderful. The sets are cleverly designed to reflect different places with minimal adjustment. The lighting is well done to reflect the mood changes throughout the performance. I also enjoyed their use of a sheer black sheet with projections to add cathedral details to the set during the wedding scene.
This production was directed by Brinton Wilkins, who shows his understanding of the script and his actors’ strengths. Costuming design by Paige Burton adds to the authenticity of the time period portrayed. Together, with Shakespeare and the brilliant cast, they have woven a tale of epic action, tragedy and love. This performance is an absolute mastery that you will not want to miss.
Parker Theatre presents Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
Parker Theatre, 3605 South State Street, South Salt Lake, UT 84115
Aug 5 – Sept 2, 2023, 7:30 PM Fridays and Saturdays, 3:30 PM Saturday matinee. See site for individual performance details.
Tickets: $27 Adults / $18 Children
Contact: 801-532-600, boxoffice@parkertheatre.org
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