Pull up a chair or a blanket as Austin Gardens transforms into Verona, Italy for Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet through Aug. 17. The performance marks Artistic Director Peter G. Andersen’s second show with the company, coming on the heels of Oak Park Festival Theatre’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the summer of 2023. Shakespeare’s comedy was written around the same time as Romeo & Juliet, likely between 1594 and 1596.
Andersen’s staging of the two plays provides a vivid juxtaposition between Shakespeare’s thematic elements and messages. Despite being written during the same period of social and civil unrest, each piece was developed with different intentions.
“[Shakespeare] wrote A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a fantasy and an escape for his audience to get away from that turmoil,” Andersen said. “Whereas Romeo & Juliet is the inverse, where he’s asking his audience to take a critical look at why violence is happening and not turn away from that.”
Thematic elements in Romeo & Juliet that remain relevant to today’s world, like the generation gap that plays a role in the plot, is what interests Andersen in staging this play. Andersen said one characteristic he wants to demonstrate to audiences is how all of Shakespeare’s works are “in conversation with one another.”
The works are unique, in that so many of them are staged regularly despite their age, Andersen said. Audiences can see how culture has changed, and how it hasn’t.
A particular strength of this production is the diversity of voices telling the story with perspectives and backgrounds not always highlighted on stage. Andersen’s combination of talented contemporary voices paired with a classical piece explores uncharted territory in how this play is delivered and, consequently, how the story is received by audiences.
“My interest is in not necessarily how we tell these plays, but who tells these plays,” Andersen said. “Just having people on the stage, who you would not normally see tell these stories helps you interpret it in a new way and that’s what keeps them fresh. Not some fancy directorial concept but having really strong, skilled actors from a variety of different backgrounds telling these stories.”
August Forman, who plays Romeo, and Rachel Jones, who plays Juliet, were “clear frontrunners” during the initial audition process, Andersen said.
“They’re both brilliant,” Andersen said. “Rachel, I think, is like a young Judy Dench. Watching her work with Shakespeare, you get this sense of ‘Oh my gosh, I’m watching a great actor at the beginning of their career.’ And I keep turning to my assistant director saying, ‘August is a movie star.’ He’s totally captivating. They are both dynamic and brought that immediately from the audition.”
Andersen’s vision for the character’s delivery of dialogue depends heavily on the actors he’s working with. The poetic language must be interpreted individually, Andersen said.
“Each person, honestly, is enough,” Anderson said. “I don’t need any character. I don’t need any schtick. I just kind of want to hear what August sounds like or what Rachel sounds like saying this poetry.”
Environmental elements offer unique challenges for any outdoor production. Andersen said these aspects play a crucial role in shaping how the dialogue is executed by the actors, which enhances the performance.
“These plays are built to be outside,” Andersen said. “Shakespeare wrote them in an outdoor theatre, so the way he structures the language, the way he structures the verse, and the sounds are meant to be big and are meant to carry. I think audiences when they come see Shakespeare outside, they’re actually seeing a more authentic version of the play than an indoor theater because the actors can really embrace the size of the poetry.”
Andersen’s artistic vision of Romeo & Juliet works particularly well with the timing of the setting sun. As the tone shifts from lighthearted comedy to dark tragedy during a pivotal scene, so, too, does the environment shift from light to dark.
If you go:
Performances are scheduled Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m., with Wednesday showings on July 10, July 24 and Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. General admission tickets are $38 and children under 12 are free. Discounts are available for seniors and students. Austin Gardens is located at 167 Forest Ave. To purchase tickets: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/oakparkfestival
