Blood and Tumbleweeds

We were fortunate three weeks ago to attend a performance  of William Shakespeare's  Romeo and Juliet presented by the Southwest Shakespeare Company. The Company presents its productions at the Mesa Center for the Performing Arts, Mesa, Arizona. Like many buildings in this part of the desert it is an impressive structure of stainless steel glass and stone. 

It was a matinee performance and the theater was only partially filled.  Our comfortable seats were only a few rows back and to the right of center stage. The stage itself had minimum of props. It was multilevel and had the appearance of stone. The director, Patrick Walsh, addressed the audience first with brief comments about the production, requests for monetary support for the theater and the usual prohibition of video and audio recording. And, of course, the obligatory silencing of cellphones. 

Shakespeare's words had not changed since the last time I had heard them and nor do I remember the last time I had heard them. Let me preface my following comments by stating that I am not a Shakespeare scholar and my views are not those of expert of the theater or the thespian arts. I have seen a number of performances of the Bard's works and did, nay I say, suffer through a study of several of his plays in high school.

I found several things unique in this production. Light was used very effectively in the production. Not only was the color of the light effective in contributing to the mood of various scenes but emphasized certain actors as well.  Music.  I had never seen music used in a Shakespeare play and I'm not aware of its used in the Elizabethan theater. Nevertheless, a cello off stage but in full view provided much mood inducing music for the performance. In this play the fight scenes were well choreographed and well acted. In one fight scene the the director took a cue from the cinema and had the actors perform in slow-motion!

Later as were enjoying vegan cuisine with Pat and Kim who had treated us to the performance we discussed the play. Criticisms were few. Perhaps the only criticism of merit was the age of the leading actors. Kyle Sorrell and Sasha Wilson both appeared to be in the thirties.  A bit old to be playing teenagers.  Nonetheless, it was a very enjoyable afternoon in the desert.