Review: R/J Fresh Alt Take On Shakespeare At Strand

R/J Represents A Fresh Alt Take On Shakespeare At Strand

“Two houses, both alike in dignity….” begins our classic tale. It then breaks out into twitter rants, multi-culturalism, contemporary tropes, audience interaction, innuendo, swearing and a high decree. This show, R/J at Strand in Baltimore, surprises me, delights me, amuses me and saddens me, sometimes all at once

I dislike giving away plot points, surprises and twists, but I will say that this is probably the gayest show I’ve ever seen; also, timely and relevant. I might even argue that this is the only legitimate, relevant contemporary version of Romeo and Juliet, as it blows apart the Sharks and the Jets, which, are we past that? No, obviously, but Gen Z is so much more than man-woman, boy-girl, and they are literally dying, often being legislated to death, and this story must be told. It must be told often, loudly and in short words for the people in the back. 

From the very opening, we are immersed in Shakespeare- and contemporary culture, which meld better than I imagined possible. The character archetypes written by The Bard are here, distilled until we recognize them, then enhanced until they are people. Writers Aladrian C. Wetzel & Elizabeth Ung translate and update the relevant personages that are usually unrecognizable and completely unrelatable to most theater-goers. 

The performers are stunning. The two main characters are played by O'Malley Steuerman and Betse Lyons, the individuals responsible for the concept of “Romeo and Juliet, where Romeo is a trans man and Juliet is fat,” but I see much more than “fat” and “trans” in these two characters. Juliet is sweet, devoted, loyal, surprised by love. Romeo is energetic, astonished, passionate, driven. O’Malley Steuerman gives us an incredibly excitable young person, leaping and cavorting all over and around the stage, their face a mobile study of emotions ranging from delight to despair. Betse Lyons is subtler, sensitive, a little shy, and -I never anticipated writing this sentence- has extremely expressive toes and fingers. Her pacing and vocal intonations present her as a genuine teenaged daughter with only one parent confidante. “Trans Romeo, fat Juliet” may have been the impetus for the show, but that’s not the story. The story is Capulet and Montague, in a way that you will not only believe it, you will understand and appreciate it. 

Aladrian C. Wetzel & Elizabeth Ung give us characters like The Princess- who has some brilliant comic moments in her opening sequences- and Father Lance, played convincingly, tenderly and heroically by Theodore Sherron III, who respectively believe that it’s possible to legislate or mitigate the differences between the two Families. Those families, however, one scrappy and struggling to exist, the other dominated by a Godfather-like figure concerned with integrity and responsibility, neither intrinsically “wrong,” exert such pressure on the fragile psyches of the teenage lovebirds that they go to desperate, tragic lengths. 

A word on the teen-age-ness of the primary characters: when I first encountered ROMEO & JULIET as junior highschooler, I didn’t understand the desperation of the characters. Flash forward a number of years (never you mind how many) to the ‘90s phenomenon of cyberbullying and its resulting tragedies, which I ALSO didn’t understand. I realized eventually that I had failed to factor the hormone-marinated, addictive single-reality neurology of typical teens, who as yet lack the hard-won human attribute of ‘perspective.’ 

Romeo’s cohorts include Q and Benvolio, who are cousins/ contemporaries/ friends, relating on a level as peers rather than divulging a familial dynamic. We see them cavorting and carrying on, enacting the independence of young adults; in Shakespeare’s time, a privilege granted exclusively to males. We haven’t come as far as we’d like to think. 

As in the classic Shakespeare version, our observation of family is largely from the viewpoint of the Capulet home. Romeo and pals are cruising around town being young and reckless, but we see machinations and interpersonal dynamics inside the Capulet home. Lady Capulet is ambitious and appearances oriented, and not a particularly sympathetic character, which will surprise no one who has ever had a parent like her. Shannon Willing’s portrayal of Lady Capulet as focused, harsh, eloquent, manipulative, yet who is NOT The Bad Guy in this piece is brilliant and nuanced. As a sympathetic ally in Juliet’s life, Makayla Beckles delivers warmth, context and a great deal of the humor originally imbued in the character by Shakespeare. She is authentically connected and loving, fierce in her defense of Juliet, but also 100 percent relatable in backing down from arguments with a stronger household personality.  

I overhear an audience member saying "As many times as I've seen Romeo & Juliet, I've never felt sorry for Tybalt. I feel really bad for Tybalt right now."  Bex Vega plays Tybalt as passionate, tormented, and, if not actually bipolar, at least unmedicated. You know someone like Tybalt, I bet. And Bex is surrounded onstage by equal talent. I am rooting for Benvolio, of Team Montague, played by Cirron Lanier Greenidge, and the unspecified drama he's got going on at the other end of his phone, on edge because I can't remember if he survives. He is gentle, loyal, a little bit befuddled. You know someone like that, too. In the role of Mer- Q- tio, known in this retelling simply as “Q,” Jacqueline Youm is a confident Queen, an outspoken advocate, and is both vocally and physically entrancing. No matter what they are wearing, Youm is magnificent. If you’re fortunate, you know someone like Q. 

 Susan Stroupe directs, allowing the cast to enact what feels authentic to them as Q+ performers, drawing from them the most effective expressions, actions and especially timing. I am impressed how long she’ll let a moment stretch, well past what we mostly think of as comfortable, past even uncomfortable, into a very heightened suspense where everything seems at stake. 

Act I is tight. Sequences are swift, banter is witty, interactions are authentic, motivations are clear. Act II is less so, which is a shame. It feels more like Macbeth- longer, sloppier and more self-indulgent. There's a lot of wailing. Which, okay, given that it's Romeo and Juliet, is more or less appropriate, but it seems to not match Act I, and I want it to match Act I.

Even with a flawed second act, this production is powerful, inclusive, astonishing and necessary. I feel privileged to have been witness to its inception. If you’re in the Q+ community, or if you’re Q+ adjacent, you MUST see this show. I hope it will be extended beyond its declared run, but in case it’s not, HURRY.  Note: ONE SHOW has been added, Friday June 30th at 8pm, and it will be a pay-what-you-can night for the community.

R/J plays at Strand at 5426 Harford Road, Baltimore, Maryland, through Sunday, June 25, 2023. Mask-wearing is REQUIRED for attendance. 

Showtimes are Thursday, Friday, Saturday June 22, 23, 24; Friday June 30th at 8pm; Sunday, June 25, 2pm  Tickets are $20, or $10 for students, artists and senior citizens. Purchase tickets online. 

The original opening of R/J  was postponed following the unexpected death of Lighting Designer Rowan Ethridge, in whose name donations may be made to Annapolis/Anne Arundel County Chapter of PFLAG (originally, when it was founded in 1973, an acronym for Parents & Friends of Lesbians And Gays, now, simply PFLAG, as the organization supports all Q+ people). Donate to PFLAG here.

Photo: Q (Benvolio) & Romeo, played by Jacqueline Youm, Cirron Lanier Greenidge & O'Malley Steuerman

Photo courtesy of Strand Theater

Final Factoid: Romeo & Juliet has been rehashed by many, including Shakespeare. The Bard based his play upon a 25-year-old poem by Arthur Brooke, "The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet," which itself was based on a French translation of Matteo Bandello’s 1554 Italian Novelle.

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