Staff Writer Arianna Lewis attended the Saturday, October 24 performance of KCST’s production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in Lerner Blackbox, directed by Ally Stancavage, GS ’27, and produced by Anamika Seth, GS ’27, and Cora Selzer, BC ’28. 

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most recognizable and well-known tragedies. Both romantic and heartbreaking, the play is often examined in attempts to define the meaning of true love. Are you willing to die for love? To give up your life in pursuit of the romance that was denied to you?  This play is meant to be dramatic, but also poignant, leaving you feeling a sense of dread at the outcome. KCST’s production displays these feelings perfectly, starting with playful romantic comedy and not-so-gently easing the audience into the tragic ending. 

Ally Stancavage’s (GC ’27) direction offers a quite modern version of the play, with humor and lines that are not typically Shakespearean, creating a healthy balance between the two modes of language that reel you in. With each scene, you wonder how the characters will interact, whether those interactions are flooded with genuine moments from cast interactions, or simply wonderful acting that makes those moments so convincing. 

Since this was my first time viewing a student production, I came in with little expectation, other than vague knowledge of the play and the hope to see something incredible. That was quickly delivered by the cast members. Particularly great performances came from lead actors Django Grace (CC ’28) and Claire Liotta (BC ’30), who play Romeo and Juliet. Romeo’s emotional outbursts when discovering his undying love for Juliet were heart-rending; I felt every raw sob, every yell of desperation, every gentle hold of her waist, as Romeo longed to never let her go. Juliet’s reciprocation and nervous joy of falling in love reminded me of experiences I had when having crushes: that anxious yet exciting feeling of pursuing a love in circumstances that may not allow it. Liotta and Grace’s chemistry was phenomenal; I was always wondering what they were going to say next, if someone would ever look at me with such affection in my lifetime. 

Throughout the production, moments of comedy also stuck with me, such as the performances by Noah Gold Benson (CC ’30) and Tumi Odedele (CC ’30), who play Benvolio and Mercutio. Every time they were on stage, I felt not only their raw friendship and closeness to Romeo as his supporters, but the bond between them that made Mercutio’s death all the more tragic. My heart was personally ripped out seeing the previously drunk yet well-advised man now stabbed and dead before me. I hope his last drink with Benvolio was a good one. 

Something for which I will promptly praise this production is the clarity of its staging and interpretation of the play. I was able to understand the stage direction and where the plot was heading, even without reading the original play. As previously stated, this production is certainly more modern, but I enjoyed its tone. It allowed me to deeply resonate with the story because of the language, movements, and even costume choices that made it feel like it could have happened in recent years. 

Ironically, I am currently taking Shakespeare I, and though we are not reading Romeo and Juliet this semester, it was definitely useful to see how these plays would have been acted out in comparison to just reading them. It really helped me visualize how certain plot points would have been observed and performed. If you’re in a Shakespeare class or thinking about taking one, KCST is the place to go! Maybe you can finally process one of the plays that’s been churning in your head by watching a production of it. 

A couple of crew members I would like to bring attention to are Benjamin Nowacek (CC ’30), the fight director and dramaturg, and Eshan Kabir (CC ’27), the sound designer. The fight scenes are stunning, so well executed that if I weren’t seated at the front, I would have believed that the cast members really hit each other. The drops to the floor, the sprays of blood, the groans of pain—all of it showcases the compelling intensity of a duel. This works wonders with the sound design—soft music playing between scenes of Romeo and Juliet embracing, but harsh symphonies after the intermission, dark and gritty to foreshadow the tragedy soon to come. As much as you don’t want to face it, the tone is changing, and you have to accept the outcome that the music is warning you of. 

One aspect of the play that falls short is the stage props. There are only a window/balcony, a bed, and a chair with an end table that continues to be moved on and off stage. Perhaps this was simply due to budgeting restraints, but the lack of props left the audience disoriented, unable to tell where the characters were meant to be. While I do praise the acting and direction choices, the stage setting was hard to ignore, especially when there were periods of time when there were long sections with no props, leaving it up to the audience to fill in the blank of what the scene was. 

During the production’s runtime of around two and a half hours (including intermission), I was on the edge of my seat, listening for the thumping of footsteps as actors walked around the black box, heading onto the stage with immense confidence. Every cast member really shone; I got to experience every aspect of the performance and their characters, put myself into their shoes, and to wonder if this romance could have played out without death. 

Group Notes and Remarks: 

Ralph Roisterdoister, a subset of KCST, was handing out baked goods to be bought to support the group. I bought a small brownie, which was so good, by the way, and it was definitely a good investment to have while watching the play. KCST has a Romeo and Juliet Instagram account for the play, so you can take a closer look at members and behind-the-scenes content that I didn’t get to here: Romeo & Juliet KCST &  KCST.

Image via KCST Production Pamphlet