Berkshire on Stage

Its a given that Romeo & Juliet is a classic, but Melia Bensussens vision of Shakespeare’s love story brings the classic into the contemporary, and the dynamic staging and choreography and plenty of swordplay are thrilling. The physical production from its angular platform and ramps of the attractive set to the brilliance of the costumes, and the spot-on lighting and sound turn this production into one of Hartford Stage’s finest productions ever–on a par with two rich productions in recent Hartford Stage history. Think the opulence of Anastasia, and the wonderment of A Christmas Carol, infused with a hint of dia de los muertos. 

Romeo &Juliet, Shakespeare’s star-crossed teens, was written for the stage, but this popular love story has appeared in all kinds of art forms, from the opera (Charles Gounod) to the ballet (Sergei Prokofiev) to classical music (Tchaikovsky) to Broadway (Leonard Bernstein’s and Stephen Sondheim’s West Side Story). It was filmed as early as 1908, and subsequently by Zefferelli, Luhrman, and others. It was adapted into other works like Peter Ustinov’s Romanoff and Juliet, plus  Shakespeare in Love, and Broadway’s current & Juliet.  Romeo & Juliet, along with Hamlet, both stories of teen angst, are Shakespeare’s most well-known plays. 

Although I studied Romeo & Juliet in high school, college, and drama school, I’d never seen a live production of the play, until Mark Lamos’ production at Hartford Stage in 1995,(which starred an unknown Calista Flockhart). I was moved by the production, and equally enthralled by Darko Tresnjak’s Hartford Stage production in 2016. Now, current artistic director Melia Bensussen helms a production for the theatre. It’s her first time directing the play. 

If you have never read, seen, heard,or heard of Romeo & Juliet, here’s the basic plot. Two teens from warring families meet, fall in love, secretly marry, meet tragic consequences, and die, which brings their families together in reconciliation.  

This production features a large cast, who open the show with a stunning tableau. The party scene, where Romeo and Juliet meet, in colorful costumes, intriguing masks, lighting patterns from above and below, and gestured choreography, is brilliance. All of the performances are excellent, and the standouts for me were Carmen Berkeley and Niall Cunningham as Romeo and Juliet; Annmarie Kelly as Juliet’s nurse, Carmen Lacivita as Friar Laurence, and Alejandra Escalente as Mercutio. 

I am so glad I had this opportunity to revisit a classic, given an outstanding production thanks to Melia Bensussen.

Hartford Stage presents Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare. Directed by Meliia Bensussen. Choreography by Dale A. Merrill. Scenic design by Christopher & Justin Swader, Costume Design by Fabian Fidel Aguilar, Lighting Design by Dan Kotlowitz, Sound Design by Darron L West. Cast:  Oluwatobiloba Adeyemo as Paris, Juan Arturo as Benvolio, Carmen Berkeley as Juliet, Emily Bosco as Escalus, Brandon Burditt as Tybalt, Niall Cunningham as Romeo, Alejandra Escalante as Mercutio, Eva Kaminsky as Lady Capulet, Michael Samuel Kaplan as Montague, Annmarie Kelly as Nurse, Carman Lacivita as Friar Laurence, and Gerardo Rodriguez as Capulet. Liliana Alva, Jeremy Parrott, Jason Pietroluongo, and Madelyn Rothstein. Through May 18, at Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford. For details: www.hartfordstage.org. 

Mark G. Auerbach studied theatre at American University and The Yale School of Drama. He has worked for arts organizations nationwide, and reported on the arts for print and broadcast. Mark produces and hosts ArtsBeat, Survivor Stories, and On The Mark for WCPC15 and 89.5fm/WSKB. He’s a regular contributor to Berkshire Onstage and a member of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association.