Romeo and Juliet has concluded its run.

Thank you all!

    Read audience comments.

  Read the reviews:

    PT Leader

    Kitsap Sun

  Previews & interviews:
    Kitsap Sun interviews director
    PT Leader preview
 

Seattle Times lists KCP's Shakespeare in the Park among top area outdoor summer theatres

Audience comments

The closing performance of the fabulous Romeo & Juliet run was truly superlative. The SECOND balcony scene, when Romeo joins Juliet atop the towering set, was as sexy as all get-out! My heart was in my throat for Romeo when he swung down on his rope, and I knew that was the last time he would see his lover "alive."

The magnetic coupling of Torrey and Ben showed me an aspect of the classic love story I'd never understood so keenly: that their love was teenage crush. Passionate but altogether adolescent. The final crypt scene, where their youthful passions came crashing down to earth, was so beautiful and moving.

Thank you to ALL the talented cast and crew (and swordfighting instructors!) who brought us this magical show in Chetzemoka Park. And to "Sir" Lawrie -- we salute you!

    -- S.R., Port Townsend

We saw the current play, Romeo and Juliet last evening - it was so enjoyable. We loved the outdoor setting, the stage, the costumes - but we especially enjoyed the lead players.

The nurse! The lovers! And the BEST FRIEND were all spendid. Their expression, movements, voices and pacing carried their parts very well.

We wished that we could have heard more of the lines of other characters - many of whom spoke their lines to the back of the stage. It was hard to hear the lovely vocalist who sang ?a song? during the marriage ceremony. (A nice staging in spite of no words or tune, however - perhaps the actors heard it.) The costuming was excellent, the servants charming, even tho their voices remained unheard by us. With all the girls' squealing, we missed all of the fight scene lines, too.

(It seemed that at certain spots on stage, voices were picked up by mikes during the second act.)

The last scene was so touching, that we were on the edge of our chairs. Juliet's timing, and facial expressions were impecible! I noticed younger audience members clutching their shirts, anxiety on their faces. Not a dry eye.

We come for the passion. Don’t we? For that elusive quality so strained in a digital age. Passion runs deep in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. These dreamy teenagers may be our only hope in a world obsessed with sectarian violence and high-tech “reality shows”.

Clarity is king in outdoor drama. Full arrays of stage or body microphones with high-fidelity speakers are normally needed, actor voice projection is critical, and diction is the byword. An exit poll of the large opening-night audience might have quantified the level of adjustment made to hearing aids in Chetzemoka Park. The ambient sound of the surf inundated the pleasant background music and singing.

Director (Lawrason Driscoll) used the set well, fully populating it with a Cecil B. DeMille cast of “32 actors and musicians” (including stage fighters, dancers, singers, and children). Fight Choreographer (Erik Van Beuzekom) served up the edgy (yet safe) swordplay needed to properly disturb the peace in Act I. Set Designer (Ian Keith) created a versatile stage with many entrances for actors and Scenic Artist (Michelle Stay) did the nice earth tones. Costume Designer (Ginger McNew) and Makeup Designer (Angela Brazier-Agnew) captured the Renaissance look. Dance Designer (Sherrie Guilliat) and Mask Designer (Thaddeus Jurzynski) threw a festive party.

Romeo (Ben Rezendes) and Juliet (Torrey Berkson) were well suited for portraying deathless romance (for as long as it lasts). With cinematic good looks and promising talents, these young actors shared with us an admirable depth of feeling for each other. The balcony scenes were priceless (and fully audible).

Juliet’s Nurse (Pamela Deckett) was the champion of her generation (over 30?). Her movements were natural, her projection was exemplary, and she cared deeply about what was happening around her.

Of other young men, Mercutio (Alex Lovett), with his edgy wit and unbridled passion, expanded the scope of this simple love story. Tybalt (Stephen Plachta) gets an “A” for perfect bravado, not to mention his startling blond mop. Peter/Friar John (Sam Cavallaro) connected well with the audience. Older men in the cast, while slightly more audible, tended toward competing narration rather than direct advancement of the plot. Capulet (Art Reitsch) broke this mold convincingly when throttling his daughter.

My least favorite moment was when Juliet appeared to have died on her wedding day and the true depth of her seeming loss seemed lost on everybody. Favorite sequences were the “balcony scenes”, the fighting, the dancing, and the final death tableau.

On balance, I give this production of “Romeo and Juliet” 4 amateur stars (3 stars if no enhanced miking and sound checks in remaining shows).

    -- Steve, Port Townsend

Key City Players

is funded in part

by a generous grant

from the Port Townsend Arts Commission.

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