“Romeo & Juliet” with a modern, Mojave twist
I had the pleasure of attending the opening night performance of “Romeo & Juliet: A Mojave Reimagining.” Directed by Liz Wessel and presented collaboratively by Theatre 29 and the Joshua Tree Shakespeare Company, the production tells the story of the famed, tragic lovers through a local lense.
Swapping the middle ages’ Verona for the present Mojave Desert, Wessel’s production cleverly highlights elements of everyday life along Highway 62. Auto mechanic Romeo Montague, along with his family and friends are self-proclaimed “desert rats,” whom Wessel dubs “forever residents of the zip code.” They exist in contrast to fine-dining chef Juliet Capulet and her associates, who are wealthy city transplants. Sparks fly at their meeting, which then smolder and eventually wreak wildfire havoc throughout the community. Wessel utilizes social media screenshots to help narrate and inflame the storylines, and backdrop photographs kept “desert time,” indicating morning with vivid sunrise and evening with a sky overwhelmed with stars.
The settings felt almost too familiar at times, from famed local businesses to an incense-burning healer’s camp, to a desert rave with a pulsing Donna Summer soundtrack. The costumes provided a glimpse of Hi-Desert fashion while also accentuating the polarity between the two families, with faded cotton workwear, sparkly boots and leopard print, silk scarves, and cowboy hats with flip-flops all making an appearance.
As the production kept the original Shakespearean language, the performers expertly utilized physical cues and near-acrobatic movements to accompany the rich prose. The talented cast flowed together to form an ensemble of faces one might encounter any given day in the hi-desert—artists, influencers, musicians, weekenders, an under-the-radar apothecary, real estate developers, and more. Wessel’s decision to depict the characters as full adults rather than children added a positive new dimension to the traditional storyline.
Andrew Catlin evoked both poetic yearning and neighborliness as Romeo, remaining steadfast in his pursuit of romance. Bobbie Breckenridge brought a realistic maturity to Juliet. Her portrayal as a confident, successful businesswoman added a new element to her character, while her dreaminess after meeting Romeo accurately illustrated the emotional shift prompted by new love. She maintained a beautiful, believable familial relationship with Heather Clisby, who served both warmth and sass in her role as the Nurse. Booker Harrap perfected the intense, yet impulsive energy of antagonist Tybalt, sleek with a knife, sparing the sword. Travis Land brought grounded, peaceful energy to his portrayal of Benvolio, and Anna La Cazio and Lisa Diaz were enchanting as desert mystics and gurus. Lastly, one may struggle to find a more captivating Mercutio than Erika Corcoran. Her energy as Romeo’s fun-loving, loyal comrade was electric throughout the performance, and she balanced the character’s charisma with equal strokes of resonance and flair.
Romeo & Juliet is dubbed a tragedy, a label that this production honors with both language and theme. While watching this adaptation, I was particularly struck by the ending scene, after flowers are laid on the graves. Two types of desert dwellers converge on a simple Mojave Desert street, and the Montagues and Capulets, desert rats and transplants, made peace before the curtain fell. While not all conflicts resolve so poetically, Wessel’s production struck not simply as a tragedy with the final line, but as a reflection on the many interpersonal dynamics — messy, star-crossed, nuanced — that effectively shape a community.
“Romeo & Juliet: A Mojave Reimagining” concludes its two-week run at Theatre 29 this weekend. Performances run at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evening, and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available for purchase online at theatre29.org or by calling the Theatre 29 Box Office at 760-361-4151.
