‘Romeo and Juliet’

McCarter Theatre in Princeton opens with a production of the famous play that takes its cue from the energy of youth.

By: Stuart Duncan
   It takes great courage to open a season with Romeo and Juliet, but McCarter Theatre in Princeton has done it successfully. It takes even more courage to cast a Romeo just graduated from Juilliard and a Juliet still a senior at the University of Virginia, but director Emily Mann has done just that. The result is the finest production at McCarter in years — a staging that may well be remembered as the definitive production of a masterpiece.

"Jeffrey
Jeffrey Carlson and Sarah Drew in the McCarter Theatre production of Romeo and Juliet.

   Every Shakespeare production comes with its own dynamic. This one begins with a company that seems to take its cue from the energy of youth. No one strolls on stage, they run. No one muses; the dialogue rips across the theater. The fight scenes are fresh (credit Charles Conwell); Neil Patel’s set design is opera-like but classic — pure white as if a tapestry on which the lights and costumes (Donald Holder and Jess Goldstein) can paint their colors.
   But the evening rests with the actors, and they are as exciting a company as one could imagine. David Cromwell, as Friar Laurence, has discovered insights into the character that suggest compassion and a keen sense of humor. Myra Lucretia Taylor, as Juliet’s nurse, has crammed four centuries of caretaking into a brief two hours, making the familiar speeches as modern as today. Stephen Rowe, who appeared at McCarter last season in The School for Scandal, also has found modern sensibilities as Lord Capulet. In fact, in role after role, Shakespeare’s words come across the footlights as fresh, sometimes as if spoken for the first time.
   Joe Wilson Jr., as Tybalt, and Remy Auberjonois, as Mercutio, taunt each other with swords drawn but might as well be brandishing tire irons and bicycle chains. Ms. Taylor and David Greenspan, as another of the Capulet servants, bat insults at each other as if at a comedy roast. The costumes may be traditional, but director Mann has infused the actors with the spirit of timelessness.
   Ultimately, of course, the play must rest with the young, star-crossed lovers. Here, the evening is at its finest.
   Jeffrey Carlson plays Romeo with a hint of Leonardo DiCaprio from the movie version several years back. He suggests a rebellious nature in the way he flips the hair out of his eyes. His innocence is tinged with rashness that is most appealing.
   Sarah Drew is quite simply the finest young actress to have graced the McCarter stage in decades. From her balcony scene early in the evening to her death scene later, she not only is in complete control of the character but finds depths never imagined. On opening night, she literally grabbed the audience by the heart and soul, then twisted it into whatever mood she desired. Who knows to what heights she will rise, but it will be fun to watch in awe.
   Emily Mann, the applause and cheers are for you as well.
Romeo and Juliet plays at McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place, Princeton,
through Sept. 30. Performances: Wed.-Fri. 8 p.m.; Sat. 4, 8:30 p.m.; Sun. 2
p.m.; Sept. 23 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $23-$53. For information, call (609)
258-2787. On the Web: www.mccarter.org