Cappies Review: 'Romeo and Juliet' at Lake Braddock Secondary School

By Julie Kessel of Albert Einstein High School

Two households, both alike in dignity (at Lake Braddock Secondary School, where we lay our scene), showcase the outcome of their bitter fight: Romeo and Juliet's star-crossed plight.

"Romeo and Juliet," one of William Shakespeare's most famous tragedies, was written in the late 16th century and has been immortalized in many forms since. It centers on the houses of Montague and Capulet, who are embroiled in an ancient family feud. Despite the animosity, Romeo and Juliet, children of the opposing houses, fall in love. As the bad blood between the families spills over, an iconic story of love and death streams forth.

As the famed lover Romeo, Alex Perry used strong physical choices and vocal shifts to portray a multitude of emotions. From dramatic declarations to tender and intimate moments with Juliet to expressions of pure agony and grief, Perry consistently presented Romeo's powerful emotions in full force. Romeo's love, Juliet (Murphy Finnegan), also masterfully displayed great emotional shifts. Starting soft-spoken and youthful, as Juliet experienced more tragedy, Finnegan's voice became lower, rawer, and closer to breaking. Finnegan's relationships with Nurse (Claire Copes) and Tybalt (Aidan Chomicki) were sweet and strong, and the chemistry between the lovers was striking.

Holland Hasle as the mercurial Mercutio lived up to her name. Playing a character both carefree and prone to fits of rage, Hasle quickly and clearly delivered those large shifts, and dramatic choices during Mercutio's death scene were strong and impactful. Another character that effectively portrayed rage was the Prince. Acting as both the Prince and the Chorus, Cora Ahlstrom opened the show with a commanding and powerful tone, and, as the Prince, reached a passionate breaking point at the end of the show where Ahlstrom's anger left the audience speechless.

The Boy and the Girl (Nathaniel Howard and Carter Smith respectively), two ensemble characters that represented the lovers Romeo and Juliet could have been, used eloquent dancing, gentle chemistry, and caring facial expressions to convey an impactful story whose message was almost as heartbreaking as Romeo and Juliet's. The rest of the ensemble lived in the background, fleshing out interesting stories and containing constant energy. Always engaged and on cue, the ensemble performances during pivotal scenes and transitions added a firm backbone to the show that kept the audience enthralled.

Hair, designed by Claire Copes and crew, deliberately showed aspects of the characters' personalities. Mercurio's artfully tousled hair represented their unfettered nature, and loose hair indicated Juliet's youth. Wound makeup, also by Claire Copes, was extremely realistic and included Romeo's softly blooming bruises and Tybalt's ghastly neck slice. Fake blood special effects, created by Bella Molino and crew, were also immensely lifelike. Appearing at just the right time and not a moment before, the blood added a level of realism to the many brutal deaths in the show. Fog effects added levels of intensity, especially when combined with dramatic lighting choices by Layla Holloman and the lighting crew, like during the infamous double suicide scene where the set was adorned with countless flickering candles that added to the devastating and mournful air.

These violent delights have violent ends, proved as Lake Braddock's production descends. And with a death-laced kiss, here ends this woe: the tale of Juliet and her Romeo.