Summer Shakespeare: Two Households, Both Alike in Dignity, in Fairbanks
By Zeke Shomler
Sword Fighting! Dancing! Young love! Humor! Tragedy! Romeo and Juliet is a classic—and this summer, the Fairbanks Shakespeare Theater reminded us exactly why. The performance brought the script to life, and between the impressive directorial decisions and powerful acting, the show provided an evening both entertaining and thought-provoking.
Keaton Evans as Romeo acted alongside Lily Larson as Juliet, and the pair managed a perfect balance that’s difficult to achieve: a sophisticated script with characters who are, as the play reminds us often, just a couple of lovestruck children.
Freddy Gryder encapsulated the playful, sometimes raunchy, sarcastic-yet-genuine-in-friendship character of Mercutio. And Diane “Bunny” Fleeks was perfectly cast as Friar Lawrence, bringing out the character’s wisdom along with their engaging and relatable side, even getting a laugh from the audience with a shake of the head that felt familiar to anyone dealing with the heightened emotions of teenagers.
Director Courtland Weaver put his choreography expertise to good use for this production. Period-style dancing transported us to Renaissance Italy and created the energetic feeling of being at an actual party—the structured chaos, the relationship dynamics involved in partner dances, the feeling of the whole world melting away behind you as you steal away to a corner to talk with your new love.
And, undoubtedly, choreographing the sword fights was no small task either. Stagehands encircled each fighting pair with set pieces, adding to the drama and movement, not to mention the added feeling of tension coming from the low rumble of wheels on wood.
An outdoor theater on the UAF campus just Northeast of the museum was the perfect setting for the staging of this classic family feud. The stage was nestled in the trees, built by volunteers from the community and charmingly painted in coral and red. The atmosphere and performance were enhanced by the natural lighting and expansive space of the open air.
Shakespeare just isn’t the same when you’re reading it on paper. The expertise and interpretations of the actors, decisions of the director, and the dimensionality and movement of the stage make viewing a play live something completely different than reading it on the page by yourself. I’m a big believer in the idea that Shakespeare is meant to be experienced, not silently read in your head. It’s not just because the poetic rhythm and timing are best felt through reading aloud, though that’s part of it, and a reason I suggest that even if you’re reading it alone, it should be done out loud with your voice. There are also so many parts of a play that simply can’t be captured mentally and can’t take place unless they’re put on a stage. While the text is a huge part of the piece of artwork, the visual effects and physical movement of a performance will simply offer you a comprehensive understanding of the story and a more meaningful engagement with it.
Another thing that makes attending the performance of a play so much better than reading it is the fact that it necessarily involves collaboration. When you read a play by yourself, you have to be every actor, director, choreographer, and stage designer, all at once. Maybe that’s fine if you’re Leonard Bernstein, but even he would be missing out on the added benefit of multiple perspectives collaborating on a single piece of part. Every member of the cast and crew brings their own unique interpretation, skills, and perspective to a performance, making it something so much bigger and more meaningful than what can be created through reading alone.
Most people are familiar with the story of Romeo and Juliet. I first read it in freshman year of high school, and even if you haven’t read the Shakespeare text, you’re sure to have seen an adaptation at some point. But even for someone who knows the story in and out, there’s something truly special and eye-opening about every new performance—you’re certain to find another angle to approach it from, or a detail will be brought out that changes its meaning for you. Shakespeare adds a lot of complexity to his texts that make them become especially more meaningful as you re-read and notice new things, but I’d argue that any piece of writing is complex enough to be worth returning to and considering in a new light after time.
If there’s one thing the Fairbanks Shakespeare Theater reminds us, it’s that coming together as a community to engage with complex ideas and literary texts is well worth our time and effort. I, for one, am already looking forward to next summer’s production. I’m also going to be sure to attend this winter’s Bard-a-thon, the weeklong, 24-hour-a-day reading of the complete works of Shakespeare they put on every year.
Thank you for the lovely production, Fairbanks Shakespeare Theater—the Bard has never been better!
This article was featured in the Back-to-School Fall ‘23 print edition of The Sun Star with an incorrect byline. This has been rectified for the online edition of the article featured here.