Niles West’s theater presents the ever-so-classic Romeo and Juliet. A well-known story but this time with a little twist. Walking into the Blackbox theater felt like entering a new world, a sort of fairy tale. The set was heavily detailed with four giant arches, that immediately caught the audience’s attention as they walk under them to reach their seats. With a couple of members from the orchestra, the live music only brought more focus on the detail and dedication put into this show.  

In case you don’t know anything about Shakespeare’s most famous story, Romeo and Juliet follow the story of two star-crossed lovers whose love is not supported by their rival families, there’s dancing, sword fighting, death and some dramatic professions of love. 

Each of the characters had amazing costume designs. Depending on the character and whether they were part of the Montague or the Capulets the stage was full of bright shades of orange and blue. Nevertheless, one can not ignore the dramatic makeup which only makes the characters pop even more.  

My favorite part of the play has to be the quick witty jokes made all throughout the play. A character’s comedic scene that stood out the most though had to be the Nurse, better known as senior Everett Gavillan. Every time the nurse appeared on stage, you could hear the crowd’s clear laughter.  

“It wasn’t too serious. It was really funny so that was an enjoyable aspect of the play,” senior Sofija Galanto said.

Another actor I could not keep my eyes off of was Romeo, played by senior Gabriel Daoud. Daoud showed such a strong presence on stage. Not only a strong presence but also the strong body movement choices only brought more attention to Romeo. Overall amazing acting.

At the end of the production, the audience was in awe of how immersive the experience was. Some scenes made the audience feel as if they were part of the show, it was well enjoyed by many fans as well as me.

“I really enjoyed the acting it was very on par. It felt professional. The dying scenes were very, very impressive. The transitions between scenes were really smooth. Gabriel did amazing as Romeo. I found the set really interesting because of how it was centered [in the Blackbox theater] instead of a traditional stage style. It was an interesting setup, but I enjoyed it as it gave everyone a chance to watch from a different perspective,” senior Mac Colby said.

“The play was super realistic, especially the crying. The crying was crazy, but I loved Leila’s acting because it was funny in some parts,” senior Katie Hsiao said.

“I really liked the acting, and I felt very immersed in the play,” senior Qi Dang said. 

This performance is a must-watch event for everyone at Niles West. Make sure to check out the performances on Friday at 5 p.m. and tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 5, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. It is $5 to attend for curricular theater students and $10 for everyone else. Make sure to buy your tickets online before they sell out!