I recently got the chance to see “What if Romeo and Juliet” by DynamO Théâtre. This intricate piece involved four actors that represented “love”. They played various characters from William Shakespeare’s classic “Romeo and Juliet”, and explored the endless possibilities of what could have happened had Romeo and Juliet’s fate been different.

One of the most admirable parts of this show was the creativity and thought put into the set and design. I can truly say it was unlike anything I have ever seen before! Thanks to the artist’s imaginations, two simple sets of stairs became so many different things — from outside a tower, to a ballroom, and so on. The innovative set design allowed for transitions to be quick and mesmerizing to watch.

Not only was the set incredibly imaginative, but the overall take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was quite brilliant. Right from the very beginning of the show I was hooked! To start the show off with all of the characters already dead was a brave and attention grabbing choice, and was certainly well worth it. The actor’s sense of comedic timing was also quite lovely and much appreciated. It was interesting to see a show with such a sad fate that was laced with comedy.

Another aspect of the show that was quite brilliant was the vulnerability and strength shown by the actors. It was easy to follow the plot of the show, and I could easily empathize with each of the characters. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around some of the acrobatic tricks that were performed, but they were certainly impressive! The amount of preparation that must have been put in to execute such a polished performance is something that I am certainly not going to pretend to understand. It was quite entertaining to see the plot of the show from different characters point of view, as it provides a very unique experience for the audience.

The music that was used throughout this show was absolutely genius. It added to the performance, and really set the mood for each of the scenes. This music contrasted quite nicely with all of the other aspects of the performance, and helped to draw the audience in.

One of my absolute favourite parts of this show was when the four actors faces were all individually illuminated, creating the sort of effect you would get if you were to point a flashlight at your face in the dark. While it may not have been as action packed as some of the other parts of the show, it was incredibly impactful and quite haunting.

Overall, I can say that I am so glad I got the opportunity to see this show. It is incredibly well crafted and thought provoking. It is shows like this that truly make me feel fortunate to be involved in such a creative community, and inspire me to continue to pursue my goals of reaching a high skill level, such as the professionalism that these actors consistently demonstrated.

Maggie