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Blacks prominent in "Romeo".
By J.W. Robinson Horne

Washington -- It is extremely disheartening to this reviewer to be living in a time when Blacks are writing, performing and producing pedestrian touring shows which are playing to packed theaters. They are nothing more than comedic commercial successes that will never enter the lofty echelon of plays by such distinguished playwrights as Lorraine Hansberry, August Wilson, Ossie Davis and Douglas Turner Ward.

Therefore, it is refreshing and gratifying to find Blacks performing in Shakespearian dramas. The Shakespeare Theater, recognized nationally and internationally as one of the country's leading classical companies, is constantly casting Blacks in leading and feature roles in their productions.

For its fourth production of the '93-'94 season, The Shakespeare Theater has mounted Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" in an impressive setting designed by Anita Stewart, who also designed the colorful costumes. Significant were the two large walls of the set that were movable inward and outward to create interior and exterior scenes. The famous balcony scene was a black midnight set ablaze with a myriad of twinkling stars.

Inspired by the long narrative poem, "The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet," Shakespeare wrote his famous play in 1595 of two lovers willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of love. Each lover is a member of feuding families, Juliet (Marin Hinkle), of the Capulets and Romeo (Jay Goede), of the Montagues.

In the first scene, director Barry Kyle establishes the animosity between the two families with a striking silhouetted street fighting scene in the city of Verona where the story takes place.

Lord Capulet gives a masked party at which Romeo and his friends, including his cousin Benvolio (John Lathan), attend uninvited. Romeo sees Juliet and immediately they fall in love despite the bitter mutual hatred of their houses. They are secretly married. When Romeo kills Juliet's cousin Tybalt (Keith Hamilton Cobb), in a duel, he is forced to flee to Mantua.

Juliet, in order to escape the wedding to Paris (Robert Petkoff) which her family desires to force upon her, follows the advice of Friar Laurence (Philip Goodwin) and aided by her nurse (Jean Stapleton), takes sleeping potion causing her to appear dead.

Romeo, having missed the friar's news of this device, believes the report that Juliet is actually dead and returns to Verona to kill himself at her tomb. Juliet, on awaking and finding Romeo dead beside her, ends her own life. The double tragedy so shocks the houses of Montague and Capulet that they are led to reconciliation.

The two Blacks in "Romeo and Juliet" with prominent roles are Keith Hamilton Cobb and John Lathan. Mr. Cobb created an extremely volatile characterization of Tybalt, a man obsessed with hatred, nephew to Lady Capulet, and who initiates the bloodshed by first slaying Mercutio (Matthew Ross). Mr. Cobb's last memorable role at the Shakespeare Theater was Octavius Caesar in "Julius Caesar."

Mr. Lathan made Benvolio, nephew to Lord Montague, a portrait of a pancean, a total contrast to Mr. Cobb's role. He is remembered for standout performances in the dual roles of Trebonius and Pindarus in The Shakespeare Theater's production of "Julius Caesar" and also as Sir John Bagot in their production of "Richard II." Cobb and Lathan' s mastery and delivery of the bard's poetry demands praise and attention. A third Black in the ensemble of citizens, guest, watch and family servants, is Jolie Garrett, who was admirable as Lepidus in "Julius Caesar" and the groom in "Richard II" at The Shakespeare. "Romeo and Juliet" runs through March 13.

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