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The timelessness of Shakespeare's 'Romeo
and Juliet' makes this traditional
tale one that serves as a director's dream; the story of a bittersweet
union
whose irony alters the audience's perception of love. Production companies
have used the ironic story to form their interpretation onstage, but
typically in a conventional style. Friday night's production of 'Rome
and
Jewels' broke this conventional style, while still paying tribute
to
Shakespeare's dramatic irony.
The obvious fact that the presentation strays
from typical makes it
understandable that the story line will follow suit. The characters'
names
are different, but their roles possessed only acute differences from
the
original 'Romeo and Juliet'. The usage of the hip-hop culture was
the source
of this change, making the plot and characters involved in more of
an urban
setting, dominated by music and dancing.
Rome falls in love with Jewels, who is currently
seeing Z-No-Zeen, more
popularly known as the character Tybalt. Rome and Z-No-Zeen are leaders
of
rival gangs, the Monster Q's and the Caps. Z-No-Zeen discovers Jewels'
new interest in Rome and sets out to ruin Rome in typical gangster-style:
murder. Events unravel leaving Rome's right hand man dead as well
as
Z-No-Zeen. Surprisingly, Rome dies at the end as well, suffering from
a
bullet wound issued by the narrator of the performance.
The story is peppered with Shakespeare's
original verse, but mainly adopts
a sort of hip-hop style language usually heard in the United States'
urban
areas. Explicit language as well as lyrical prose is used to amplify
the
emotion that the characters are feeling at the time. Dancing is also
used
as a means of expression. Responses turn into action and movement
of the
body serves as a second language.
The dancing becomes the highlight for most
audience members. A fusion of
hip-hop style and break-dancing introduces a type of movement that
most
viewers had never seen before. The performers advance the plot with
dance
while entertaining the audience at the same time.
Artistic expression is typically used as
a means to portray a message, or to
force the audience to experience a different perception. Rennie Harris,
the
director and choreographer, is obviously trying to give the audience
something to think about, and he does it by throwing it in their face.
He
finds parallels in Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' and the "hip-hop
lifestyle" and exploits them. Themes of violence and sex are
amplified,
but on purpose. In between these scenes, Harris would show Rome in
an
animalistic state, maybe to show that the actions he partook in were
in fact
animalistic in nature. Harris himself graces the stage with lyrical
prose in
between plot advances, his swift but informative tongue reminding
audiences
that hip-hop is not just about thugs and violence, it also possesses
a
poetic side as well.
The performance was one that stands out
among others that have graced the
stage of the Oxford Playhouse. The music, dance, and lyric are all
at a
level that may have on the surface seemed sub par to the venue, but
the
audience was aware of the necessity of the tactic. Aside from the
show being
a raw interpretation of 'Romeo and Juliet', it also reminded audiences
that
artistic expression could take on numerous roles, including the exposure
of
a taboo culture.
Rachael Liberman 9/11/01
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