A story of more woe

When he shall die, 

Take him and cut him out in little stars, 

And he will make the face of heaven so fine 

That all the world will be in love with night, 

And pay no worship to the garish sun. 

--Juliet, Romeo and Juliet (Act III, Scene II)

Today, I sat in the drama centre and watched Wild Rice bring Verona back to life in washes of orange sidelights. I witnessed the Montagues and the Capulets disrupt the peace (with voices weaving through the cushioned seats - I'd like to experience more of that).

I met Romeo, lovesick Romeo, singing of his fancies of the fair Rosaline to Mercutio and Benvolio. I met Juliet, a ball of sunshine gracing the stage with her beautiful voice and slender form, bounding along and about Nurse.

I watched as the famous star crossed lovers locked eyes, locked lips, fates. Amidst the burning torches, they saw the flames of a deep desire.

(Oh how dreamy I must sound!)

Doth teach those torches to burn bright? And burn did their love.



I watched one of Shakespeare's most famous works with the lovely Sarah and Deborah. It was a production by Wild Rice, with a "powerhouse" cast of the big names of the theatre industry. The play was a fresh take on the work by Shakespeare, with a hint of Singapore culture and a modern presentation of what people might view a stale and rusty old love story. View the Teaser Trailer, the Trailer (featuring the adorable couple, Romeo, played by Hansel Tan) and Juliet, played by Julie Wee) as well as the Director (Ivan Heng)'s interview of his take on the play for "modern ears".

A question on Formspring asked about my favourite romantic novel/movie. It comes as no surprise that Romeo and Juliet sprung to mind. Yes, as full of cliches and as much as people deem it to be cheesy and unrealistic, that's precisely it. It is young love, crazy, hormonal teens in love, but more than that, it is how Shakespeare managed to introduce beautiful, intricate verses that had me floating in their world of each other at one moment, and drag me down into the pits of hell along with the tragedy of the two lovers.

Julie Wee and Hansel Tan had perfect chemistry. It was an endearing courtship against the background of the protection of the night. Their words melted us into a puddle of goo (components: lit girl feels and girl feels in general). To top of their sizzling romance were multiple hormone filled scenes, where Romeo and Juliet were caught up in passionate kisses and even striped down to their undergarments and climbed into bed with each other. Romeo simply held Juliet in his arms, so do not let your mind wander.

It was an emotional roller-coaster for sure. It is an abstract idea that I will attempt to formulate into words (and perhaps fail quite...miserably). It was not as simple as alternate moods that set me into a sense of euphoria and devastation, but rather, the joy that comes with seeing two hopelessly in love, backed with the devil pointing out the cracks in their armour. The lovers' ages, to their family backgrounds, Romeo's compliments of Rosalind, spoken two, three days before his roving eye sealed his fate, Juliet's wise, but short-lived apprehensions towards his affections, the course across four days set me into ultimate despair before I was ruthlessly thrown off a cliff by the end.

The sight was beautifully depressing. The breaking point, for me, was when Romeo, dead from the   poison, fell limp in Juliet's arms. She shook and begged him, in anguish, to wake. Her rising from her 42 hours of death-like sleep as he was crashing onto the tomb left me awestruck at the tableau, just like how night befalls day and vice versa, which is an important theme in R&J (night as a representation of their union and day as that of their separation).

Unfortunately, something that I have been acutely aware off ever since Black Square is the audience reaction. I experienced it for myself first hand, during Introspection (both on stage and on screen) and then again when watching Sans Limites' performance (video), the irritation and anger when the audience bursts into laughter for no apparent reason.

It is concert etiquette so many people tend to overlook. Mercutio's death scene was a critical turning point in R&J. It punctuated the relationship between both Romeo and Mercutio, displayed Romeo's savage side and marked the start of a string of complications in the play (Romeo's Banishment).

I apologise for having been a part of the audience. They laughed when Mercutio was dead in his best friend's arms... because the former had his hand near Romeo's crotch (it was the thigh area, and it was not even that obvious!). It broke my heart when Mercutio came out after the performance and asked the three of us why the audience was laughing.

Looking back now, I think it was each step of the couple's journey to doom that left me breathless at the end of every scene. I guess, to know a text inside out or to have no idea of its existence at all is too drastic a background (or lack of) to go about watching a play. One must have the chance to allow the actors to deliver blows (Lim Yu Beng, aren't you proud of me?) but also avoid getting lost in the chaos. I hereby make a promise to myself, and to the production team of Boom, to not set expectations of light years from Earth, but to appreciate and respect executions. Dear director knows best.