Stellar cast, production values enliven YPH’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’
By Stephanie Ottey
A new director is being showcased at the Youngstown Playhouse this month. Terry Burgler has a history of experience in classical theater and is sharing that experience with local talents and audiences in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
Burgler is a traditionalist when it comes to Shakespeare. He doesn’t employ fancy effects or elaborate concepts; he simply directs and produces the great playwright’s work as it originally was produced. With Burgler’s knowledge and a team of top-notch designers and performers, “Romeo and Juliet” is the best thing to hit the Playhouse stage this season.
Upon walking into the auditorium, audiences get a clue of the high quality of the production. Before the lights come up, it’s easy to see that Jim Lybarger’s set is one of the sturdiest, most expensive-looking sets to appear this season. Aesthetically pleasing as well, the multilevel set is full of tricks and traps that prove to be instrumental in the fluidity of scene changes. Not often is a set described as clever or surprising, but Lybarger’s certainly is.
The costumes designed by Dorothy Butler Facciobene are equally high in quality. A quiet theme of red vs. blue is used to separate Montagues from Capulets. Rich fabrics and period-appropriate designs are worn by actors as fashions, not costumes. This is achieved, in part, by a cast of actors who act their parts with such ease that the play feels entirely natural and commonplace.
Burgler achieves two great feats with “Romeo and Juliet”: He casts the play as rightly as it could ever be cast and leads his actors to communicate with one another and the audience in a way that is infrequently seen in classical theater locally. It is clear through this production that Burgler fully understands Shakespearean theater and is sharing that understanding with his cast and crew.
The title characters of Romeo and Juliet are played by Dylan White and Corina Dougherty. Both in their junior years of high school, they are the most appropriately selected “starcrossed lovers” one could imagine. They are young, bright and lovely — a perfect embodiment of the youthful love they represent. Dougherty is delicate and sweet, while White is boyish and charming.
White holds a particularly impressive command of the language for such a young actor, adding humor and passion to an already lovable Romeo.
The supporting cast is equally stellar.
Liz Conrad is an absolute joy to watch as Juliet’s nurse. Conrad makes a part that often is thrown away very comedic and memorable.
Anthony Genovese and Cleric Costes are a firm duo as Benvolio and Mercutio. Costes embraces the raunchiness of Shakespeare with an energy that is infectious.
Nathan Beagle is honest as Tybalt. His anger and eagerness to fight is not that of a tyrant, but of a man devoted to his family.
Terry Shears creates a Friar Laurence that is hopeful and forgiving, another nicely developed character.
John Cox and Molly Galano are powerful as Lord and Lady Capulet. Cox shares a wide range of emotions, achieving anger without becoming villainous, and Galano is an equally diverse counterpart. Doubling as Gregory, Galano commences and ends the show clearly and respectfully, engaging and releasing the audience from the tragic story.
The remaining cast members maintain their respective characters with the same clarity and skill. There is no weak link in this cast.
The talent and dedication of Burgler and the cast and crew of “Romeo and Juliet” make this production an absolute must-see for Shakespeare lovers and novices alike.
The show runs today and next Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Youngstown Playhouse is at 600 Playhouse Lane, Youngstown. For tickets call 330-788-8739.