Cristina Panfilio Shines as Juliet

by James E. Trainor III

It seems Shakespeare himself has fallen in love with the character of Juliet. She serves as the early model of many of his heroines - she has the optimistic courage of Rosalind, the sharp wit of Beatrice, and the quiet wisdom of Cordelia. Buried in an outwardly modest young girl is a passion and intelligence that shames her elders.

In Riverside's 2010 Shakespeare Festival, Cristina Panfilio simply shines in the part. She is introduced to us as a carefree child, beautiful and merry. Her scenes with the doting Nurse (Jody Hovland) are a delight to watch. Panfilio and Hovland create a believable and heart-warming on-stage relationship, and the simple joy of it makes up for the tears we know are to follow.

With Romeo (Andy Truschinski), she is suddenly out of her element. Her confidence is shaken by the overwhelming passion of her spirit, and Panfilio plays these scenes with vibrant energy and humor. During the famous balcony scene, one feels she is doomed to explode with giddiness as the she rushes back and forth between her room and her hidden lover. It is an absolutely charming scene, and even though we know where it's ultimately going, we can't help but smile.

As the action becomes more grave, Panfilio's exuberance is tempered, though not completely subdued. As she fights for her honor against her hot-tempered father (Tim Budd), we see her inner strength shine through. When she matches wits with Paris (David Tull), we see her skill with words is every bit as sharp as Romeo and Mercutio's. It is saddening to see the budding woman's family suddenly turn into a cadre of enemies, but it is quite intriguing to watch Panfilio work, and her energy and charm keep driving the piece forward.

Truschinski's melancholy, at times, threatens to consume Panfilio's merriment. The pair strike a nice balance on stage, however, and the early love scenes are fun and endearing. These two can't get enough of each other and we can't get enough of them. Truschinski is also quite strong in the scenes with the shrewd and earthy Friar Lawrence (Patrick Dulaney), and is sharp and clever throughout his verbal spats with Benvolio (Michael Perez) and Mercutio (played with irreverent wit and tireless energy by Michael Daniel Anderson).

Left to his own devices, however, he seems to stumble a bit. Cut loose and exiled, Truschinski's character becomes a little homogeneous, and the production seems to miss some of the subtlety of the later scenes. He picks up at the end, when confronted with Paris, but the play seems to suffer from a drastic dip in energy without Benvolio, Mercutio or Juliet to bring Romeo out of himself.

There seems to be a general inconsistency in the pacing here. The first half is an absolute delight - dynamic, funny and frightening, moving along with the exuberance of a young lover. It's here and gone, however, like the lightning Juliet evokes in the balcony scene. The latter half, as complications suffocate our young couple, seems to lack a certain spark that the first half takes for granted.

Part of this is the awkward structure of the script itself. Shakespeare is experimenting with form here, and makes heavy use of foreshadowing. Romeo and Juliet are rhetorically killed dozens of times in the dialogue, and Juliet in particular has three scenes in which she prepares for suicide. Panfilio and Truschinski do their best to keep the dramatic tension going, but these later scenes lack a bit of urgency.

Ron Clark's direction focuses on the fault of the parents in continuing the feud. In a central scene, Capulet threatenes to disown Juliet if she doesn't marry Paris. Tim Budd is excellent as the proud and angry Capulet, and Clark takes great care to show us how each of these elders is personally responsible for Juliet's fate. It's a very serious message, and the production brings the theme home in a spectacular tableau of mourning at the end as "all are punished."

It does miss a bit of the text's subtlety, though, as Romeo is equally responsible for the tragedy. It may be a dramatic device that Friar Lawrence's letter doesn't reach Romeo, but it's no accident that Romeo ignores the Friar's advice on his wedding day. Even as Romeo is challenging "love-devouring death" to "do what he dare," the cleric counsels patience, self-awareness, and long-lasting love. He has a final chance to turn it all around at the end, when he is surprised by the fact that Juliet's cheeks are not pale (it's no surprise to us; we know she's not dead). There is no shortage of these moments, which add up to a play which, while ostensibly about Fate, highlights pathways to free will by having the central characters blatantly ignore them. This seems to be a very important message in the text, and most of it is glossed over in this production.

It's a small fault; for spectacle, romance and truly skillful performances - especially Panfilio, Hovland, Anderson, and Zachary Andrews (who plays the ferocious Tybalt) - this production delivers everything expected of it. It's always a pleasure to watch a professional company tackle timeless tragedy, especially under the stars.

Romeo and Juliet runs until July 11th at the Riverside Festival Stage in Lower City Park. Tickets are $15-37 and can be purchased by calling 319.338.7672 or from Riverside's website.