Here we are at the end of another week of piecrust promises - easily made and easily broken. I mentioned almost a week ago that I wanted to talk some about the delightful R&J I've spent the last month staging at Eastern Michigan, and some of the design elements, some conceptual stuff, etc. Instead, I've split my time between tech rehearsals, the opening, playing with Dash and Evie, editing the first third of COLOSSUS, and being mercilessly pimped out by EMU to promote the show. Not that I blame them. I just forgot to tell them that though I am easy, I am never cheap.

I'm hoping still to talk a bit about the show once I have photos and whatnot – the design elements are wonderful. And, as my lighting designer pointed out just today, most reviewers don't mention the design. Unless it sucks, when of course it's all that can be talked about. As this show is far from suck, the review in the Ann Arbor News doesn't mention set, costumes, lights, or sound (well, a little of the sound).

It does, however, mention the acting, and also the "concept" – a term I am loathe to use, as I see this as a fairly interpretation-free version of the play. But Ms. McKee doesn't agree, as you can see below in the text of the review.

I am very proud of this show. I've done ROMEO & JULIET 16 times now, I think, five times directing. The learning curve on my part is pretty steep, but I think I see this show pretty clearly, and can help actors and audiences do the same. As I say, this is number 16 for me, and it took me a few days after opening to make up my mind, but I think this one is my favorite.

For an objective opinion, here's the Ann Arbor News review (link is here):

REVIEW: "Romeo and Juliet"

by Jenn McKee | The Ann Arbor News

Saturday October 11, 2008, 2:21 AM

When the lights come up on Eastern Michigan University's production of "Romeo and Juliet," you see two actors posturing as an Italian rap song plays, and right away, you know this isn't your grandparents' Shakespeare.

Instead, it's that of Chicago-based author, actor, and director David Blixt, who argues in his program notes that "Romeo" isn't a tragedy, but rather a Shakespeare comedy gone horribly wrong. He makes a compelling case, and his cast puts his theory to the test. Consequently, "Romeo"'s first act – wherein two young people from feuding families fall in love – is chock full of sight gags, physical humor, hysterical line readings, teasing, innuendo, and priceless expressions. (Forget the grandparents; this is no one else in the world's "Romeo.")

Often, the production's humor is juvenile – there's phallus jokes and "purple nurples" a-plenty – and while this may initially seem discordant, it jives perfectly with the pubescent age that Shakespeare assigns to these characters. Similarly, Juliet, played by Stephanie VanAlstine, blasts music in her room and yells, "I come anon!" to her mother in exactly the same way today's teenager cries, "Just a minute!" or "I'm coming!"

And because these unoccupied teens are roaming the hot streets of contemporary Verona, it's not at all surprising that fights break out. Blixt choreographed the show's swordfights, and while the actors' execution is occasionally tentative, the design is consistently clever and appropriate; on opening night, Romeo's showdown with Tybalt, performed by Matthew Andersen and Charles Dvorak, was a fight highlight.

The scene marks the end of the first act, when the laughs stop and people start dying. The tonal contrast between acts is jarring – like having the rug pulled out from underneath you – but in some ways, the story's tragedy is significantly heightened by virtue of the comedy that precedes it. And by employing this concept, Blixt demands that his actors change gears entirely while also maintaining emotional continuity.

Fortunately, most of the cast is up to the task. Joshua Hamilton makes his bawdy Mercutio memorable; Gary Pettit presents a deceptively fierce Lord Capulet; Krissi Hardy hilariously seizes upon the Nurse's comic possibilities (though she's largely limited to pleading and weeping in act two); Stephanie VanAlstine imbues Juliet with high-spirited youthfulness, but also a preternatural wisdom; and Andersen, despite getting briefly stuck on a few lines opening night, makes the most challenging, complicated emotional leap with measured skill.

Notably, Andersen performs the play's famous balcony scene while positioned high above VanAlstine, visually emphasizing how Blixt has literally turned the well-worn love story of "Romeo" on its head. But that's exactly how we get new, refreshing perspectives on classics.

Eastern Michigan University Theatre's production of "Romeo and Juliet" continues at Quirk Theatre, on the EMU campus, at 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Tickets are $15 ($12 for students), available by phone at 734-487-2282. For more information, visit www.emich.edu/emutheatre.