The entire cast of the production is in top form. Matthew Thompson ’02 turns in a creditable performance as Tybalt, and the skill of Jay Chaffin ’01 shines through his directorially misinterpreted role as the Friar. Showing his resourcefulness and skill once again, Dan Cozzens ’03 plays a wonderful Benvolio and has great chemistry with Romeo.
Most remarkable amongst the supporting cast is Lisa Faiman ’02 as Mercutio. With an amazing on-stage presence, Faiman deftly handles both the comic moments and the more dramatic. The relationship with Romeo that the gender bending of this casting allows comes across as creative and enjoyable.
Relatively unknown to the Harvard stage, Anne Jump ’01 is outstanding as Juliet. From her first entrance on roller blades, Anne is the perfect young Juliet of the first act. She is brilliant in the moments of developing young love, especially shining in the balcony scene.
Anne’s skill, though, extends beyond portraying love’s early stages. Her opening speech in the second act is superb, and the audience sees her become a woman as she rejects her father and her family in favor of her new husband. This transition from young lover to woman that so often proves difficult for even the best actresses seems effortless for Jump.
But what is a Juliet without her Romeo? And what a Romeo Graham Sack ’03 is, stealing the show with his awe-inspiring performance. At ease with the comic, the tragic, and the romantic moments of one of Shakespeare’s greatest characters, Sack’s incredible skill is on full display. Sack’s genuine delivery and wit combine to make a truly loveable Romeo.
Like Jump, Sack has no trouble with the maturation of his character. His greatest moments, however, are in the balcony scene and in the love scene, which this dedicated theatergoer has never seen handled better.
It also must be mentioned that the chemistry between Sack and Jump is unmistakable. From the first moment they share on-stage, they sell the love-at-first-sight relationship that is often scoffed at by cynics. Playing both cute and passionate, blissful and tragic, the pair light up the stage.
The spectacular acting and keen directing unquestionably overcome the problems presented by the additions to the text, making this a memorable Shakespearean excursion. Rounding out a great HRST season, McGee and company dazzle the eye and move the heart with this outstanding presentation of Romeo and Juliet.