R+J
By Andrew Andrews
Reading the synopsis, you might think, “This is going to be weird.
I mean, a dystopian future where all cisgender men have been eliminated and the government is still relying on martial law for order amongst the factions? Sounds rough.
And then you see the set, covered in metal, plastered with posters about the resistance, covered with graffiti relating to the struggle, and you might think back two decades to the Baz Luhrmann adaptation, and say, “This is definitely
Then the lights go out, and a barely-legible announcement blares from the loudspeakers, and you wonder if you’ll ever think of Shakespeare’s most famous
And then the actors appear.
And they recite the verse.
And it all feels familiar.
Very, very familiar.
And you realize that, even in a dystopian future, there will still be
There will still be
There will still be those with
There will still be those
And, although the pronouns may change, even the
This is R+J, the latest offering from Hypokrit Theatre Company,
Given that the cast and crew (including the aforementioned set by Marisa Kaugars, lighting by Dallas Estes, costumes from Lux Haac and sound by Renee Yeong)
Yet it’s not that different, either.
Yes, the masculime words have been all but eliminated, and used only for dramatic Assuming, of course, that you’re willing and able to recognize that gender is a lot less binary for others than it may be for you. So check out Whether you love the reinterpretation or insist that the classics should stand on their own, your ratings help others decide whether Hypokrit’s production is worth their attention, and your ratings help us help you find future
Andrew Andrews attended R+J at Access Theater in Manhattan on Friday, September 28, 2018 @ 8:00pm to write this review.
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