HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-07-03, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 3, 2008.
Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s
Romeo and Juliet is a youthful,
passionate production, giving a hip
turn to this familiar tragedy.
With inspired direction by new
Festival artistic director Des
McAnuff, the play offers surprises
and some interesting twists in design
to bring a contemporary feel to this
tragedy of ill-fated, teenage lovers.
For reasons not explained in the
program material Romeo and Juliet
begins with actors clothed in attire
that while more modern, seems to be
not from any specific era, but an
amalgam of several. From the
masked ball when Romeo and Juliet
meet, up to the discovery of the star-
crossed lovers in the vault, these are
traded in for the traditional, and
beautiful, costumes designed by Paul
Tazewell.
If the intention is to show that the
same problems are as inherent in
today’s society or from three decades
past, as 500 years ago, it is a pointed
reminder.
A cast adorned by fresh, young
faces parallels the vitality of the
production, while seasoned Stratford
veterans, such as Lucy Peacock as the
nurse, and Peter Donaldson as Friar
Laurence, offer the sense of solid
tradition.
In her Stratford debut, Nikki M.
James is a mesmirizing Juliet. Having
directed her in an award-winning turn
as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz at La
Jolla Playhouse in California,
McAnuff encouraged her to audition
for Stratford. Though she expected
she would be part of a musical,
McAnuff wisely chose her as his
Juliet; she gives a stirring
performance. Her heroine is an exotic
child, sensual and innocent.
Romeo is a garrulous youth who
maturation is obvious with the return
of Juliet’s love. Gareth Potter, in his
fifth season maintains the ingenuous
reality of his character while
successfully shaving back the
possibilities.
Mercutio, excellently portrayed by
Evan Buliung is all testosterone-
fueled energy, full of lusty innuendo
and randy posturings. A commanding
presence, Buliung who last appeared
at Stratford in 2002, brandishes
sardonic wit with rapier sharpness.
The set design by Heidi Ettinger
uses the Festival’s thrust stage to full
effect. A bridge over a piazza is the
backdrop, while a trap door provides
enhancements. There is a sense of
heat and colour that helps to create
the contemporary feel in this play.
This Romeo and Juliet is one for
today’s Stratford audience, familiar
enough to be enjoyed by a mature
audience, excitingly presented to
encourage young attendees. It runs at
the Shakespeare Festival until Nov. 8.
Another opening
The Blyth Festival Art Gallery proudly opened its newest exhibit, A Bend in the River, an
exhibition of works in various media by kerry ferris and Catherine Morrisey, on Friday night.
Studying some of the work were Robert Tetu and Vicki McKague. (Vicky Bremner photo)
A modern Romeo and Juliet
Director Des McAnuff presents a hip Romeo and Juliet at
Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Lucy Peacock, left, is
nurse to Nikki M. James’s Juliet. (David Hou photo)
In what’s described as a
preliminary first step on the road to
building a new elementary school
adjacent to the Pyramid Recreation
Centre, trustees of the Avon
Maitland District School Board
approved a “memorandum of
understanding” with the Town of St.
Marys on Tuesday, June 24.
Specifics of the memorandum
were discussed behind closed doors,
prior to the public vote.
But education director Geoff
Williams told reporters afterward
that the document “defines
parameters for future discussions”
between the two parties and “sets
out what the final agreement will
look like.”
Trustees recently approved a plan
to construct a new kindergarten-to-
Grade 6 school on land currently
occupied by a baseball diamond to
the east of the Pyramid Centre. The
Town of St. Marys, which owns the
property, facilitated that decision by
offering to come to an agreement
over land use.
According to Williams, signing
the memorandum of understanding
allows the school board to submit
the plan to the province’s Education
Ministry for approval. The majority
of funding for the project is expected
to come through the ministry’s
Prohibitive to Repair (PTR) process,
due to the fact the board is replacing
the town’s two aging elementary
schools.
The timeline for further planning,
Williams said, “really depends on
how fast the ministry works with us.
Because, in the PTR process,
everything must be approved by the
ministry.”
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Theatre review
Stratford puts hip
in ‘Romeo and Juliet’
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
AMDSB approves referendum
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen