Romeo and Juliet

Directed by Beth Wolf

July 27 – August 18, 2013

Presented outdoors at Schreiber Park and Touhy Park

Reviews

I’d be singing the praises of Midsommer Flight’s latest, an outdoor performance of Romeo and Juliet in Rogers Park’s Schreiber Park, even if I weren’t so admiring of its mission: to perform Shakespeare in under-served communities. Part of the thrill was the random appearance of intrigued locals not used to hearing Shakespeare in a corner lot. R & J is, of course, the classic tale of emotional extremity. Director Beth Wolf moves things along with speed and agility, cutting strategically and keeping the whole thing under two hours. The simple set (four wooden boxes which become balcony, bed, and tomb) allows the words to take center stage. The actors are uniformly strong, from bawdy scene stealers Mercutio (Julian Stroop) and Nurse (Molly Lyons) to the solid leading lovers. Brendan Hutt’s Friar Lawrence had me considering the radical, subversive role of the church in devotion to love. — Suzanne Scanlon, Chicago

Overall, this clean-cut execution of possibly the most famous love story in the world wins because it gives you the play as is, straight up, just as Shakespeare intended it (or as close as we can get today!) Whether you have read “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” or are only just beginning to dip into the Bard’s works, this a great way to spend a relaxing midsummer eve. —Anuja Vaidya, Chicago Theater Beat

Cast and Crew

Cast: Brian Scannell as Romeo and Ashlee Edgemon as Juliet, with David Cady, Jr., Nick Ferrin, John Ham, Brendan Hutt, Kanome’ Jones, Nyle Kenning, Molly Lyons, Mason Pain, J. Preddie Predmore, Rachael Proulx, Chris Smith, Julian Stroop, Adam Welsh, Sheila Willis

Production Staff: Dylan S. Roberts (Assistant Director), Beth Laske-Miller (Costumes), Ross Lemmon (Props), David Yondorf (Violence)