Whenever someone mounts a Shakespeare adaptation, I’m all ready to support the cause of the Bard. I’ve said it often enough that the language, the poetry, the meaning and wisdom behind the lines are too precious to regard as history, or old-fashioned. Time and time again, productions showcase just how relevant, illuminating, and universal Shakespeare is to this day. And this Everyman Presents production/adaptation of Romeo & Juliet (RxJ), directed by Carl Cariño, and with a cast composed of both students and professional stage actors, is an excellent example of how Shakespeare still resonates, with themes that carry meaning to this day and age.

‘That Which We Call A Rose, by Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet’ is a line uttered in this romantic tragedy, and it perfectly captures how the true essence of a thing or person is more important than its name or label. Call it iambic pentameter, call it outdated poetry, or stylized speech, but as delivered in this production, the sentiment and emotion behind the words still ring true. There’s a punk rock veneer to this adaptation, with modern devices like an iPad incorporated into the action, and they all work in conveying the tragedy's message.

The movement across the open stage, the physical proximity to the cast, and the smart use of the space available all add to the charged atmosphere while the play is going on. Cariño has always emphasized choreography, motion, and physicality; here, he even employs a succession of dumb shows and the use of masks to cut down on the spoken lines and move the action along. The masks represent death and the underworld, and I liked how this engaged the audience I watched with. I could hear the person a few seats from me, explaining ‘sotto voce’, what was going on to the person seated beside her. 

At the same eye level as the audience, there’s an intimacy created at Vestido, Poblacion, that I could sense the audience was thoroughly enjoying. It runs for two more weekends, with two shows (3 pm and 7 pm) on Saturdays and Sundays. The last weekend would be Sept. 6 & 7. Given the sparse set design and use of objects, I loved it when Carl mentioned that the hope is to turn this production into a traveling one that could be brought to schools and universities, and staged there on their campus. 

Beyond the actors portraying Romeo and Juliet, I’ll commend the strong support coming from the cast. On the night I watched, those would be Benvolio, a stoner's ‘Big Lebowski’ Friar Laurence, Lord Capulet, the Nursemaid, and Mercutio. Their delivery and clarity really broke down the rigors of the iambic pentameter. They made us think of the proverbial Rose - where the essence of what was being said struck home, no matter who was speaking or how it was being said. 

The themes of love, obsession, family loyalties, and feuding, plus the ending with the reconciliation of the warring families, all vividly come to life, and so do catch this production before it closes. Tickets are available at HTTPS://tinyurl.com/everymanRxJ or contact 09164320900.n You won’t regret your visit to this rebooted Verona.