By Sable Stevens
The setting of Verona and its feuding families is brought to
life at the University Theatre with the production of Shakespeare’s
“Romeo and Juliet.”
A preview of the play was Thursday night; a final dress
rehearsal that invited all of those interested to catch a glimpse
of Shakespearean theatre as Cal Poly, and specifically the play’s
director, Linda Bisesti understand it.
Most in the audience were giddy high school students and a few
fellow thespians who attended for support and enjoyment.
“I thought the play was put together very well. My favorite
scene was when the Capulets see Juliet for the first time,” said
Dylan Wallace, a second-year theatre student. “There were a lot of
good moments in that scene. And overall, I think the best thing
about it is the way it looked; it was a very beautiful play.”
The stage is a character of the play itself, portraying the
streets of Verona and the Capulet home as multifaceted; setting the
scene for hate and love.
Downstage is set at an angle to lift the characters and the
scene toward the audience and not have a flat, one-dimensional view
that makes seeing a scene, such as the infamous death scene,
difficult.
The setting proved aesthetically pleasing to students.
“I thought the set was beautiful and the sound was good. It
wasn’t underscored,” said Justine Lauren, a third-year theatre
student.
The Renaissance costumes made the production more authentic, and
the simple touch of eyeliner to Tybalt gave his livid character
vitality.
The acting was superb. Juliet, played by Stephanie Soukup, had
the baby face and charisma of an almost 14-year-old, with the
acting chops to make you truly believe her mental and physical
youth.
Christopher Davis plays the love-stricken Romeo with a burn in
his eyes, breath and movement that screams star-crossed love.
“This is the second Shakespeare show I’ve been around for,” said
Amanda Castillo, a third-year theatre student. “It’s probably one
of the best shows we have done in a while and is definitely the
best Shakespeare show we have done.”
Care was taken when it came to preparation for the actors’
roles.
The aggressive and self-important Tybalt was a role that took
involvement.
“I spent a lot of time really trying to focus on what caused him
to want to be angry all the time,” said Robert Shields, a
third-year theatre student.
“I spent time outside of rehearsal talking to Linda about what
my character’s thoughts are. She helped me think of the situation
happening before the scene I was in and made it clear to me what
the situation was in Verona, making the whole situation real.”
Reach Sable Stevens at lifestyle@thepolypost.com
Chris Sloan/Poly Post
Love blooms in spring with classic Shakespeare
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