Romeo and Juliet
at Bishop O'Connell High School

Reviewed on November 11, 2017

Ciara Curtin
George Mason High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

As the theater darkened, actors and actresses of Bishop O'Connell High School began reciting the famous prologue of Romeo and Juliet. Different lines were read by each person, their faces illuminated only by the glow of a flashlight. A beautiful stage picture and inventive use of lighting created a segue into the performance of one of Shakespeare's biggest classics.

Originally published in 1597, William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, the play detailing the story of two feuding families, the Montagues and the Capulets. Romeo of the house of Montague, and Juliet of the house of Capulet, fall in love. The play details this forbidden love and just how deeply some feuds and rivals run. As one of Shakespeare's masterpieces, this play would model for countless adaptations and similar stories of feuds and star-crossed lovers for many years to come.

This classic story was transformed by the O'Connell players with the decision to set it in 1940s New York. Along with this choice came well-crafted sets and many effective costumes. Juliet's bedroom proved to be one of the most effective sets of the show, incorporating different elements including light purple walls with era-appropriate pictures tacked on them. In terms of costumes, many ladies were dressed in costumes fit well to the time. However, some of the costumes, particularly for male characters, were anachronistic and belonged to a different time, including skinny jeans and modern sneakers. This was partially made up for with the notable work done in terms of color scheme by putting Montagues in blue and Capulets in red; this helped distinguish characters and create an effect that visually showed the division between the two houses. The ensemble and actors made great use of the house in addition to the stage; if the scene called for it, characters would enter through the walkways in the auditorium, successfully adding texture and variation to the performance.

A stand-out performance of the show was Rosemary Paulson as Mercutio. Her stage presence backed by her movement and demeanor created an amusing as well as powerful character. She played a male role, but pulled it off with ease. Making good use of props like a bottle opener or trash can, she made scenes dynamic and full of energy. Paulson also proved to know the dialogue and text of the show incredibly well, as her comedic timing was impeccable, and dramatic moments believable. As a supporting actress, Rosemary Paulson helped the performance come to life and was a highlight performer in the show.

O'Connell performed a classic for the ages. Unfortunately, sometimes the microphone cues were late, but the actors continued to perform with grace. Additionally, often actors forgot that microphones do not always turn off right when they get backstage, and some lines that were unintended to be heard by an audience were in fact heard. At times lines or moments were rushed, which added to slight confusion as audience members missed certain points, but the overall flow of the performance was smooth. This show offered a new take on Romeo and Juliet with the clever time-period shift, while simultaneously staying true to a great work of literature.

Nicole Benson
South County High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

In New York City, where they lay their scene, two star-crossed lovers take their life. Bishop O'Connell High School's production of Romeo and Juliet was a charming rendition of the famous Shakespearean tragedy.

Romeo and Juliet was written in 1500's Elizabethan England by William Shakespeare. The classic play has been staged countless times and produced into several movies.

This production was creative in that they chose to set it in 1940's New York City. Jeffrey Hales gave an impassioned, genuine performance as Romeo. Hales showed the childish and whiny demeanor of Romeo's character. Alongside him, Kyleigh Friel was a wide-eyed, innocent Juliet. Their chemistry showed in the balcony scene and the party scene.

In the supporting cast, Ava Coffin gave a motherly, affectionate portrayal of Juliet's Nurse. Anthony Socarras was a violent, hot-tempered Tybalt. He did particularly well in his fight and death scene with Romeo. Another memorable performance was Colman Rowan as Paris. Also, Caitlin Mea gave a humorous depth to Friar Lawrence, Romeo's mentor, with her occasionally deadpan delivery and acting as the "only sane man".

The technical aspects of the performance were creative and inspiring. The costumes were creative in dressing the Montagues in blue and the Capulets in red. While some costumes didn't quite fit the 1940's setting, they were still imaginative.

The sets, while simple, did reflect the setting of each scene. Some also included details such as posters of famous 1940's movie stars in Juliet's bedroom and trash cans for the street scenes. The lights were interesting in that, they used purple lights in Romeo and Juliet's scenes to mix the colors of the two houses.

Some criticisms are that the actors rushed through the script and didn't display much emotion. In conclusion, Bishop O'Connell High School's production was an enjoyable and unforgettable experience.

Donovan Fisher
Mount Vernon High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

The power of love transcends time. Whenever and wherever it takes place, a story that contains this crucial theme can apply universally, and inspire all by their actions. This can be seen through Bishop O'Connell High School's adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Trading out the written Shakespeare setting of fair Verona for the bustling streets of 1940's New York, this adaptation takes the story in an updated direction to show how transcendent the themes are. This timeless show follows the trials and tribulations within the rival houses of Montague and Capulet, and the forbidden love that the children of these houses share.

The classic tale follows star-crossed lovers Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. Romeo, played by Jeffrey Hales, had efficient power in his performance, fueled by clear motivations and ambitions. He took charge on stage, putting passion and energy into his performance. Throughout the show, he helped focus and lead the ensemble of his peers, wonderfully working with and realistically reacting to other characters in his actions. Juliet, played by Kyleigh Friel, had a refined performance, using the subtleties of the character to her advantage as she presented a subdued version of the character. She was able to masquerade herself and her true intentions to everyone but those she loves and cares for, conveying the secrecy and turmoil within her after meeting Romeo. Many of the actors had microphones throughout the show, but still had wonderful projection if a microphone wasn't on, allowing for us to easily hear the dialogue being said. The actors were able to power through any technical hiccups and convey this story with extreme focus and precision.

Some of the technical design for the show was wonderfully done. The set design struck well between simplistic and complex, using intricate designs for simple set pieces to further convey the time period and setting. They made efficient use of backdrops to help build our location and immediately introduce the changes made in this adaptation of the tale. Both in lighting and costume designs, color contrasts were made between the two houses to convey the divide between the blue used for Montague and red used for Capulet. Then, for characters such as Romeo, once wed to Juliet, is lit by and wears purple to convey their conjoined nature. The special effects team made wonderful use of blood squibs during many of the battles and death scenes, building a sense of stakes and urgency whenever someone was injured as they were led to their untimely demise. It helped add a sense of realism for the production, and it was wonderful to see this uncommonly done special effect in a high school production.

Bishop O'Connell was able to put on a charming rendition of the classic Romeo and Juliet. Actors powered through each scene, efficiently guiding through the text with careful attention to detail. The tech especially helped in bringing this timeless story into a new time period, with the use of costume and set designs conveying these enthralling changes. Overall, Bishop O'Connell's production of Romeo and Juliet built upon the original text, conveying that the themes of love and fate presented in Shakespeare's text are universal throughout time, through the strong acting choices made throughout the piece and the technical design projecting this tale into the 20th century.

William Senkus
H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program
Submitted for publication to Insidenova - Sun Gazette

We all know how this one goes; the play starts with a brawl establishes the fierce rivalry among the Montague and Capulet families. Later on, a Montague boy named Romeo falls for Juliet, a Capulet at a party creating our star-crossed conflict. The family rivalry boils to the point of Romeo's banishment, Juliet's faked death and, finally, the actual deaths of the two star crossed lovers. Romeo and Juliet is a story that is familiar to most theatre patrons and participants across the world. Written by William Shakespeare, derived from Arthur Brooke's Epic Poem The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet, the show was written into its first quarto version in 1597 and has been performed internationally ever since. Bishop O'Connell High School was faced with a familiar task to all who put on a popular Shakespeare play: what will be unique about our rendition?

It was decided upon that the play was going to be set around the Fifties: where jackets, leather and varsity alike, and long bobbed hair reigned supreme. A beautiful tapestry hung behind the scene that seemed to pay Homage to another famous fifties play based on Romeo and Juliet (Stephen Sondheim's West Side Story). What really highlighted the period change was the props, which were well executed by Katharine Pham and Natalie Archer, and their ability evoke a quick comprehension in the artistic choice. For instance, the trash cans that were scattered about for certain scenes were the large, silver-type that were commonplace in the fifties. Trash cans have since become more practical and made of plastic, but the probable recognition of this evolution brought about the usage of the silver trash cans that really helped set the scene. The extra mile, taken by the props team, really paid off and was able to highlight the artistic choice to move the play to the Fifties. It just goes to show that it is the smaller details that tend to have the largest impact in relaying a message.

Kaitlyn O'Conor
Langley High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet chronicles a forbidden love between two young teenagers from warring houses ultimately leading to their fatal downfall. In a tragically beautiful performance, Bishop O'Connell High School put on a well-received and pleasurable production of Romeo and Juliet in which they tackled the challenging emotional characters with poise and maturity while adding their own twist.

This classic tragedy follows two star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, and their two families, the Montagues and the Capulets. The two families despise each other and as their children fall in love, tensions rise but in the end the two lovers die in a scene both romantic yet heartbreaking where both houses reconcile their differences.

Bishop O'Connell took on the very difficult task of diving deep into the emotional characters that this play requires and each actor put on a high energy performance which engulfed the audience into every line they spoke. With unique character gaits, mannerisms, and even vocal inflection that made each actor on stage different from the other and fascinating to watch keeping the audience engaged with every movement.

A dreamy, impulsive, and hopeless romantic, Romeo Montague (Jeffrey Hales), sets his heart towards the beautiful Juliet Capulet (Kyleigh Friel) even though he knows that their love is wrong in the minds of their families and he will be put to shame if anyone were to find out. Although he is aware of the consequences he falls incurably for Juliet. Coming on stage with a purposeful walk each time whether it was whimsically dreaming of Juliet or a swagger gait meant to intimidate, Hales captured essence of Romeo in his intentional character shifts and heartwarming passion for Juliet.

Contrasting Romeo, Juliet is a strong willed young woman who is abandoned by her family, beaten by her father, and fooled by the Friar ultimately leading her to find herself choosing death with Romeo. By developing a deep connection with her mother, Lady Capulet (Elithia Arif) and the Nurse (Ava Coffin), Friel not only brought the audience the occasional comedic relief but also made the betrayals and the death that much more heartbreaking.

Alongside Romeo, Mercutio (Rosemary Paulson) Mercutio offers Romeo sage advice until he and a foe, Tybalt, get into a fatal brawl leaving him dead. With a boasting walk, Paulson complimented Romeo (Hales) by providing a comic punch with witty timing and gestures, which Hales had to fight back at which developed into a believable friendship onstage.

Although at times, the microphones remained on backstage so the actors could be heard, while they were onstage, the microphones were clear and crisp making for a pleasurable experience.

Written back in the late 1500's, Romeo and Juliet has become one of the most widely studied plays but something unique about Shakespeare's work is that the themes are still relevant today. Since Romeo and Juliet has a universal theme of young lovers, which can take place in any time, Bishop O'Connell used that to their advantage and set their production in a 1940's New York, which added a new dimension to their performance making it even more relatable for the audience. In utilizing metal scaffolding for Juliet's balcony, putting Marilyn Monroe posters in Juliet's room and even the small detail of the metal trash cans, The O'Connell Players Tech Crew (Anne Marie Wolf, Michael Black) created a set that teleported Romeo and Juliet from the 1500's to modern day 1940's New York which allowed for a fluid connection that made the performance that much more enjoyable.

Romeo and Juliet is a difficult piece for high school which Bishop O'Connell put on enjoyably.