The Mercer County Community College rendition of Romeo and Juliet ran from April 10 to 19 and was fantastic. The way this timeless tale was produced stands out from all the rest.
The theater was packed on opening night. People filed into the relatively small theater, murmuring in hushed voices as they waited for the play to begin.
The stage featured a spiral staircase and several arches, a spare but lovely set to indicate the small town of Verona, Italy, that allowed room for the ballet dancing.
Though the version sticks close to the classic story line, it pairs it with ballet and had a twist. The actors and the dancers were different people, but the Mercer theater crew did a very good job in transitioning between “Dancing Romeo” and “Acting Romeo” and at time they both interacted, which was very cool to see.
The costumes were well made and elaborate. Dresses were very elegant and fit the time it was portraying. The male costumes were equally as good.
The Mercer theater crew also had a hit with the humorous side of the play with the character of Mercutio who, in this writer’s opinion, stole the show.
An audience member Giovanni Perez, 32 of Philadelphia, and a Barnes and Nobel Textbook Manager said “For someone who doesn’t go to plays it was surprisingly very good” Mr. Perez went on to say “I would recommend it yes, because it was fun to watch, it was a new experience for me, and the actors and actresses were really good”.
The Production and Dance coordinator Prof. Jody Grazenbeek-Person stated that preparing for the production of Romeo and Juliet “ took a little over two months.”
