Dan Allison
September 13, 2015 6:55 pm
Romeo and Juliet by Sacramento Shakespeare Festival
This play at Land Park was quite fun. The cast was all-male, traditional but now very unusual. There were a lot of sound problems, probably due to a combination of stage and individual mics, with electronic noise, widely varying levels, and wind sounds, but almost all was intelligible. It has been a long time since I've seen the play, and I'd forgotten how compelling it is, and how many lines are in common use though few know the source. There were a group of young women sitting behind, being totally silly before the play and during intermission, but rapt during the performance. I was reminded that after all, the play is about a 14 year old girl and a young male, it is really for them in some ways. The Carroll Amphitheater is completely inaccessible, with dozens of rough steps, soft surfaces, and mo alternatives. I managed to get down to join Sarah and Danny with considerably difficulty.