Illinois Shakespeare Festival
The Illinois Shakespeare Festival's production of Romeo and Juliet is about as close to perfect as any production I have seen of this play, including productions at Stratford-on-Avon by the Royal Shakespeare Company and at the Stratford Ontario Shakespeare Festival. Directed by Doug Finlayson, Head of Directing at St. Louis' Webster University, this production is filled with unbelievable talent... Finlayson's direction is virtually flawless and his use of Franklin-White's set is probably as close to what was actually seen some 400 years ago at the Globe as we are likely to see here in Central Illinois. This was truly an excellently balanced production, and I recommend it to even first-time Shakespeare audiences. PAMPHLETPRESS
Finlayson's staging creates some lovely visuals on Michael Franklin-White's set, which manages to look cozy and imposing, all at the same time. R. Lee Kennedy's lighting design adds mood and depth, as does the darkness that descends around our star-crossed lovers as the night wears on. AFOLLOWSPOT
Second only to Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet is the Shakespeare play I’ve seen staged most — only because the famous love story is staged so frequently — and there’s no question that the production I saw last evening at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival in Bloomington, Illinois, was by the far the most imaginative (while staying true to the text) and most emotionally engaging I’ve experienced. Directed by Doug Finlayson, the Festival production was truly delightful.
As one would expect, the
portrayals of the title characters (played by Dylan Paul and Laura Rook) were
at the heart (ha) of the production’s success — and I want to speak to these
portrayals in some detail in a moment — but Finlayson took a number of creative
risks in his treatment of what could be the best-known and most-read of
Shakespeare’s plays (I’m basing my statement on the fact that so many high
school freshmen read the play), and every roll of the creative dice was a
winner. Moreover, judging from audience reactions, I know I’m not alone in
labeling the production a triumph.
12 WINTER’S BLOG
Amazingly, though, Dylan Paul and Laura Rook are both...well...good.The best part of these two, though, is how real they are. Directors don't usually make them immature high schoolers like they're supposed to be. But director Doug Finlayson did just that, and that's what makes them so endearing.
The directing throughout the entire show is a fun mix
of modern and classic. R&J
is a tragedy, through and through, but Finlayson proves the tone of the entire
show doesn't have to be tragic. The first half of the show combines a fun
energy and comic elements that really quicken the pace. Between the rock music
and the quirky, humorous interpretations of the lines, this is a performance
geared toward a new generation of theatre goers and Shakespearean doubters.
From the first moments of the performance when rock music is blasting out the
speakers and the cast is screaming their way on stage, hitting canes and sticks
to the beat, you know this isn't going to be your grandmother's Shakespeare
(although, I think my grandmother would have loved this show!).
5 MINUTES THANK YOU BLOG