Choices, A Romeo and Juliette Story: AWOL

If you're looking to prove that a group of kids can do Shakespeare, then one should let them do Shakespeare. I was struck by this thought while recently watching the recent production at the Lucas Theatre of Choices: A Romeo and Juliette Story produced by A.W.O.L. (All Walks of Life). As the company directors mounted the stage during the curtain call, and the show director was eventually called up, the young people who worked so hard on this truly enjoyable show were duly praised, re-praised, and justly applauded. Bravo to the cast and crew on a job well done.

However, there are inherent weaknesses that keep this excellent project from being even better. Firstly, if you're looking to prove that kids can do Shakespeare, then that is what one should let them do! Altering the script in a substantial way, as has been done to this piece, essentially means that the performers are doing something else. And yet, given the role of this piece as a part of a longer-ranging hip hop project (and though it departs from stated mission is laudable nonetheless), alteration of the script should not only be allowable but laudable. The simple problem in this case is that the adaptation used by director Lakesha Green does not go far enough, but instead is a simple transliteration into fairly flat, mildly stilted contemporary English. If hip hop is the point, then allow these young poets to adapt Shakespeare's words into their own poetry. Or do the Shakespeare script true to the meter and poetry originally. Half-measures can be deadly in the theatre, robbing both audience and spirited performer of strong options. We had seen samples of these options when A.W.O.L. performed with the now-moribund Savannah Shakespeare Festival, but this same verve was dimmed at the Lucas.

Yet the vigorous young folks of the ensemble really do succeed in spite of this substantial handicap. Being treated like professionals, they truly do deliver an engaging and fairly nuanced performance. In such an ensemble piece, it would simply not do (nor could our bandwidth handle) to try and recognize each individually. So at the risk of forgetting someone, The Savannah Dramaturgy will err on the side of caution.

Further, there is much to be lauded in terms of community-building on the part of Choices. Through cooperation with Abeni Cultural Arts Dance Studio a positively mesmerizing dance was performed for the deaths of Tye (Tybalt) and Maurice (Mercutio). Accompanied by slam poetry that effectively sums up the lessons, A.W.O.L. has succeeded in a feat of cross-collaboration that hasn't been seen in this city since the aforementioned Shakespeare Festival. For this alone, A.W.O.L. deserves praise and recognition, not to mention the simple quality of performance given.

Quite simply, Savannah needs more of this. Our youth are our single greatest resource, to be husbanded and nurtured by the current generation of artists. The only issue is that the gurus need to step from the limelight in order to help facilitate this. Plato knew the power of the arts, even if he didn't value it. And so, we here at The Savannah Dramaturgy turn to the artistic leaders in our community and echo the words of A.W.O.L.'s youth. Life is about choices. We all have to make them. Lets make the right ones.