“Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater is an emotional 75-minute journey through familial and romantic love.
The play opens with a fight scene on the streets of Verona between the young men of the Capulet and Montague families. It quickly moves to Juliet and Romeo meeting and falling in love, and then the miscommunications that lead not only to a tragic fight and death, but ultimately to their suicides. The fast-paced production and lively fight scenes will keep boys engaged—even if they think they don’t like Shakespeare.
For those of us who are mainly interested in the love story, the chemistry between Laura Rook and Christopher Allen sells the show. Too many times, I’ve seen Romeo and Juliet, and thought, “Really? You’ve known each other five minutes.” But in this performance, their infatuation feels real. Teen love hits them hard and irrationally, but it’s no less improbable then Juliet’s parents insisting she marry Paris or Romeo killing Tybalt. Passion rules young minds, and reason takes a back seat.
The adults in this production—especially Melissa Carlson and Kurt Ehrmann, who play Juliet’s parents—are as immature as the young lovers. You feel the teens’ pain at the arbitrary decisions the adult world makes, and their resulting actions are understandable. The only adults who are on the teens’ side are Friar John, played by Tim Gittings and Nurse, played beautifully by Maureen Gallagher, but they are adults with good intentions, but little power.
The urgency and feeling in this production will remind you why Shakespeare is still preformed today. From street youth violence to prejudice to infatuation to helicopter parents—there’s a lot to discuss when you leave the theater. I saw “Romeo and Juliet” with my 14-year-old daughter and we’re still working through some of the questions the play raised.
Though billed as “Short Shakespeare,” the play isn’t just for young audiences. The Saturday performance—all shows are at 11 a.m.—had an audience of mixed ages, all engaged in the tragic love story.
“Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet” runs 75 minutes with no intermission Saturdays at 11 a.m. through March 23 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 East Grand Avenue, Chicago. Purchase tickets online or by calling 312-595-5600.
