By Alia Sinclair
Theatre Battery debuted William Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 2, 2024, at their performance space in Kent Station.
It’s difficult to re-formulate such a well-known and oft-told tale as Romeo and Juliet. However, Theatre Battery has achieved something truly unique with the classic material.
Contemporary performances of Shakespeare easily begin to slog as actors and audiences grapple with an unfamiliar vernacular and struggle to appreciate the true gravity or comedy of what is being said. Performers of Shakespeare—especially young performers—tend to fall into an overly flowery cadence that expresses little of the true meaning of the scene.
However, the cast of Theatre Battery’s Romeo and Juliet avoided this common pitfall. They played a deep understanding of the language, conveying it to the audience with high energy and impact.
Community involvement was another unique element of Theatre Battery’s rendition. The cast ranged in age from silver-haired elders to a baby under a year old. This diversity elevated the sense of community in the story and the destruction the endless fighting between the Capulets and Montagues caused to everyone their lives touched.
Romeo (Ayden Bryant) and Juliet (Stella Meerman) are played by actual teens, bringing a youthful, charming naivete to the roles that are often missing when played by adults.
Bryant’s emotional range was impressive. He never shied away from embracing the full emotion of any given moment. His genuine feelings were never shallow or transparent but vibrated with authenticity.
Juliet is often portrayed as stoic, aloof, and mindless, but Meerman’s portrayal offers realism to the role. Often bad-tempered and tempestuous, her childlike devotion to Romeo is juxtaposed by her defiance of her parents and resolve to have her sweetheart, whatever the cost.
The supporting cast is also a delight to watch. Juliet’s Nurse (Danielle Alexis Nicole Mitchell-Francois), Mercurio (Taryn Graham), and Princess Escalus (Molly Aidlin) particularly stand out. Their performances are quick-witted and full of depth, and they play their scenes beautifully.
The show is very high-energy, making its 2.5-hour run time pass very quickly. Several battle scenes choreographed with stage blades and fake blood keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
The soundscape includes sharp and loud drumbeats echoing out from behind the audience, making the experience more immersive.
Modern elements are interspersed throughout the show. Juliet is never far from her Nintendo Switch, the majority of the cast wears contemporary street clothes, and the bopping soundtrack features trending pop music.
The performance space of Theatre Battery was formerly used commercially. There is no stage or backstage—simply a wide expanse of emptiness that was transformed masterfully into an immersive theatre.
Overall, Theatre Battery has produced an original, entertaining, and deeply moving rendition of Shakespeare’s classic. Take advantage of Theatre Battery’s radical hospitality and enjoy the show free of charge.
Click here for dates and times of future performances.
Alia Sinclair is a writer residing in SeaTac. She is passionate about the arts and connecting people through the written word, and is the founder and editor-in-chief of Patchwork Mosaic magazine for creatives.
