You have to be careful when you play with the time and setting of any work, but with something the likes of “Romeo and Juliet,†you have to be more meticulous than a forensic cop at a crime scene. If done incorrectly, an inferior and unconvincing setting change can ruin the entire production.
That’s not to say that the Genesis Repertory’s version of the iconic play is a bad one; it’s just not nearly as convincing as it could have been, squandering solid supporting acting performances and quality ideas while telling this timeless story.
Taking place in modern-day Brooklyn and having the Montagues belong to the Jewish faith of Russian descent and Capulets of Muslim, Mary Elizabeth Micari’s rendition of the play sounds intriguing enough, but lacks the depth needed to truly separate itself from the source material.
For one, you never get the feeling that the Montagues are indeed Russian-Jewish. Instead, they come off incredibly Italian, with Romeo, played by Nelson Gonzalez, coming across more like a cross between Robert De Niro and Al Pacino than a star-crossed lover. It’s not his delivery, which, too, lacks the charisma needed to be convincing, that gives him this aire, but more his body language. After exchanging his first kiss with Juliet [played by Aileen Lanni], Gonzalez has this sly look on his face, as if he’s about to run to his homeboys on the street, rather than letting himself truly fall in love.
Moments like this, where characters either act out-of-place or ad-lib random and overtly racist profanity, tarnish the production incredibly. Just because the piece is supposed to take place in Brooklyn doesn’t mean every character has to be a vulgar animal. Adhering to stereotypical behavior, rather than telling the story with a Brooklyn flavor, the performance loses its legitimacy fast.
Because of this, at times, you’ll wonder if the play is based on MTV’s hit reality show, “The Jersey Shore.”
Not even the believable Russian-Jewish accent of Jay Michaels as Lord Montigue is enough.
On the other hand, the Capulet side of the coin is handled much better, with Robert Aloi and Lisa Tosti handling the duties of Lord and Lady Capulet respectively. The same thing goes for Miguel Angel- Sierra, who plays Tybalt with a rashness and machismo that does the production proudly, adding the drama it needs to keep things moving.
In spite of this, it is the performance of Courteney Lynn Wilds as the nurse that steals the show. Witty and compassionate, Wilds not only provides a warm shoulder for Juliet to cry on, she makes the audience feel at home and induces smiles whenever she’s on stage.
However, there is still an unevenness there that keep the play from achieving what it needs to in order to pull everything off successfully. Aside from the change of scenery and clothing, you never get the feel of the added connotation of religion.
Instead, the performance comes off more haphazard and feels like a dress rehearsal to the traditional performance of the play.
The only actors away from the Capulet family that manage to successfully enthrall the audience are Francis Callahan as Friar Laurence and John Stillwaggon as Mercutio. Aside from the fact that it’s incredibly strange to see the Jewish Romeo confide in a Catholic priest, Callahan is spot-on throughout the play and his experience shows. Hilarious, yet noble and wise in spite of his audacity, Stillwaggon’s presence on stage gives the play the energy and passion it desperately needs.
Nevertheless, it’s not enough to carry the performance past the mediocre. Regardless of the amount of smiles some of the actors here produce, you never feel like you are watching something as bold as it intended to be.
While Micari and her cast should be commended for taking up such an endeavor as this, they lacked the ability to truly pull it off.
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