All during high school and college, I avoided anything Bill Shakespeare wrote like the plague. I have gone all these years never having read or watched a production of “Romeo and Juliet”?until two weeks ago.
Director Dale E. McGilliard worked out a magnificent production of this 411-year-old play, and brought to the MTSU Tucker Theatre a masterpiece. Bringing in star of stage and screen Lane Davies as Lord Capulet, the 57-year-old MTSU alum and Shakespearean actor received a standing ovation. I was impressed with his incredible talent, and his ability to work with and around a cast whose fathers were kids when this gifted actor was on the MTSU stage as a student.
The incredibly handsome Matthew Frazier-Smith as Romeo, and exquisitely beautiful Alli Scott as Juliet were awesome in their portrayal of star-crossed lovers in the dueling houses of the Montagues and Capulets. I was mesmerized by their believable love for each other, and even their senseless suicides caused by their will to be with each other forever, whatever the cost.
Kudos to the entire cast, and special notice to Alan Smith as Tybalt, Justin Bourdet as Paris, Dustin Napier as Mercutio, and Patrick Benneyworth as Benvolio, and to “The Chorus,” whose haunting songs and dance gave some wonderful special effects. As usual, costume designer Tommy Macon did an excellent job, my favorite costume being worn by Ben Dawson, as Prince Escalus.
The set, simple, yet beautiful and colorful, consisted of two high staircases, and a huge balcony. The sword dueling was wonderful and the stage direction and blocking was clever and well done. The Tucker will have to work very hard to surpass this production in the upcoming months.
Tennessee Williams’ plays have a tendency to be slow and boring in my opinion. Like Shakespeare, I have never been a big fan of his work. However, every once in a while someone comes along who brings his writings to life, gives them energy and makes it worth the while. This is being done at the Center of the Arts with Donna Seage’s direction of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Elyce Helford as Blanche and Todd Seage as Stanley had the audience on the edge of its seat?usually wanting to reach out and slap the fire out of her or punch his lights out.
The sexual tension between the two permeated from the set, and both actors did a wonderful job. Sherry Sunday as Stella was convincing as the abused wife, her love for Stanley as riveting as his on-again, off-again commitment to her. Andrew Ford, as Mitch, put on his always-great performance as Blanche’s love interest. You could feel his emotion in the budding desire and then gut-wrenching tearing away, as he finds her true past and her not being the woman he thought her to be.
Amy Bernstein, Roy Lee, Mike McRee, Angela Ford, Gary Parker and Candilyn Ford rounded out a cast that brought a somber reality to the performance with their ability to keep your mind on the rest of the world. And kudos to young Blake Adrian; he almost stole the scene from Ms. Helford during his commanding presence as the collector.
The lighting and music were well done, the fight scenes were blocked perfectly and the stage (although not a Shane Lowery set) held up under intense pressure and was well thought out.
My only criticism would have to be the loud, obnoxious teenage girls who took the entire front row. Their constant giggling and swooning over Mr. Adrian was disruptive and disrespectful. They should have been placed in 12 different areas in the theatre, not on the front row together.
Arguably the best show I have seen this year, Murfreesboro Little Theatre’s Love, Lust Onstage?Plays tell of complicated relationships
With a beautiful set, commanding acting, great lighting and the best musical score I’ve heard in a long time, director Shane Lowery and crew have made a “little” into a “big.”
A sold-out house on opening night watched with great emotion as William Keathley and Jamie Storvik transformed themselves into two of the greatest adulterers ever to perform on the Murfreesboro stage. The ability to stretch this “romance” over a period of 24 years (1951 to 1975) was amazing?and as many times as I have seen this Bernard Slade play (probably a half dozen times in 15 years, several I worked backstage on) this was the finest performance of the show I have ever witnessed. Along with George, in one scene I was “staring at a 200-lb. pregnant lady” and I was getting hot, too. The humor, sometimes raunchy, and the tears, sometimes very real, make this play the one not to miss this year.
WARNING: If you have ever cheated on your spouse, this play will make you very uncomfortable!
Mr. Keathley’s wife refuses to come see it, and Mrs. Storvik’s husband, Philip, who was in the audience opening night, said he wanted to punch Mr. Keathley’s lights out.
