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Romeo and Juliet @Cleveland School of the Arts, 12/10
Imagine.

Imagination is a wonderful thing. Anyone who doubts that today's students are lacking in that quality missed two opportunities this weekend to observe just how wrong they are. (Saturday night it was the Contemporary Youth Orchestra -- see the review of that concert elsewhere here.)

Sunday afternoon, I was privileged to see a fully staged and costumed production of Romeo and Juliet as presented at the Cleveland Play House by students of Cleveland's School of the Arts. Thanks to committed volunteers, the entire staff of the Play House and a grant from the Meisel Foundation, these students were challenged in a way most of us will never be, and succeeded marvelously.

Scott G. Miller, head of the Theater Arts Program at CSA has long wanted to do this play, but never felt he had exactly the right actors for the lead roles. He has them here. Big-time. Chris Webb, as Romeo was nearly flawless. He spoke the Elizabethan poetry as though he'd learned it in his cradle, investing each word with meaning and intensity and authority. He's also breath-takingly athletic in the rather small performance space of Studio One. His co-star, Jelisa Williams was also effective, and physically very appealing as Juliet. On occasion, she tended to rush her words, making it a bit harder to grasp all of them. But that's a minor quibble, compared to the all-around excellence of the total effort.

Having teen-agers actually portrayed by teen-agers brings a new and different sensibility to the entire play. Their youthful exuberance, joyful young love and physicality created a special excitement, generally well-executed by the entire large cast. To be sure, some of the young actors were more at ease than others, and really dug into their roles. A few of the usual male roles were handled very capably by females: Latecia Wilson as a brash, swaggering Mercutio, Laprise Johnson as the sympathetic conspirator Friar Lawrence, and Shawna Heaton as the raggedy Apothecary.

NeChelle Sanders took her portrayal of the Nurse right to the top, but never quite fell over it, and Akil Lanton was an athletic Tybalt. Eddie George as Juliet's father displayed a multi-faceted character, while Victoria Little was a somewhat subdued Lady Capulet.

Special commendations go to all the students who indulged in the many very realistic fight scenes (all that teen-aged angst, remember?) and Kelly Elliot, their coach and choreographer. Those are real swords and daggers being utilized and it's to everyone's credit that no one gets hurt! Likewise, the period dancing (choreographed by Kenya Woods) and indulged in by all, was handsomely and gracefully done in a kaleidoscope of colors and sweeping movements. Jim Swonger's sound and Sue Berry's costumes added tremendously to the overall effect. The set was designed by Mark Jenks, and utilizes every square inch of Studio One to great advantage, with actors seemingly here, there and everywhere, and always enhanced by the clever lighting designed by Katrina Yeigh.

For a group of mostly inner-city students, this was a totally impressive achievement, and one I suspect they'll never forget! At times, some of today's urban speech patterns and movements seeped into the Elizabethan setting, but they only added to the overall enthusiasm. Scott G. Miller has invested enormous amounts of time and effort and love in these students, and they've repaid him handsomely.

In addition to the student presentations this week, there are three public performances left so you can go see for yourself the power of all these qualities. You really should not miss this extraordinary production -- Dec. 15 and 16 at 7 pm and the 17th at 4 pm. Call the ticket office at 795-7000 x4 or visit their website: http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com

From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATadelphia.net.