BYU’s production of Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet was an interesting exploration into the larger social implications of the play. By setting the production in Gilded Age America, the production staff emphasized how the characters Romeo and Juliet are not so much the romantic lovers that they are often portrayed to be, but are rather naïve, inexperienced victims of their families’ insatiable greed and power-striving.
There were many elements of the production that I thought contributed to the emphasis on the corruption and avarice of the Capulets and the Montagues. The most obvious elements were the costuming and set design, which were both consistent with late nineteenth century America. The allusions to the Gilded Age were also specific to actual people of that time; the Capulet family represented the Astor family dynasty, the Montague family channeled the Vanderbilts, and the third power family in the play, the house of Escalus, represented J.P. Morgan’s involvement with stabilizing various industries during the Gilded Age. (For more historical background on the Astors, Vanderbilts, and Morgans, click here, here, and here.) The obvious connections to real figures of the Gilded Age were further reinforced by the insertion of lines from Ward McAllister’s book Society as I Have Found It. The book was published in 1892 as an examination and explanation of many of practices and standards of the elite in American society. All of the historical figures alluded to in the play were strong forces in the economic and social climates of the day. By suggesting that the Montagues and the Capulets were similar to Gilded Age tycoons and dynasties, the production staff created a link between the conflict in the play with the families' love of money and power. Because of these many allusions to society in Gilded Age America, the production reinforces how the theme of how lust and greed are inextricably linked.
Another element in the production that I noticed was the emphasis on dancing. The careful choreography of the play helped establish how Romeo and Juliet were largely pawns in the greedy schemes of their parents and families. Throughout the play, there are numerous scenes were dancing plays a large part in the action, such as when Romeo and Juliet first meet at a ball. The production staff took the dancing motif even further; in almost every scene change, the actors on stage danced and moved with careful precision as they moved props around. At times, the various characters from both families would lead or even push Romeo and Juliet around the stage. This demonstrated how both Juliet and Romeo were used and exploited by their families to improve their social standings, or business endeavors. The large amount of dancing in the play also emphasized how in Gilded Age America, aesthetic, outward activities like dancing gracefully or dressing elaborately were in reality a thin veneer masking inner ugliness and corruption.
Before seeing BYU’s production, Romeo and Juliet was actually one of my least favorite Shakepearean plays. Despite the beautiful lyricism of the lovers’ words, I always felt that for a play that is often described as one of the most romantic stories of all time, it was in fact one of the least romantic stories of all time. What is romantic or poignant about two teenagers meeting, getting married mere days later, and killing themselves when they believe the other to be dead? I had never connected with the story or the characters, which prevented me from appreciating any of the play’s redeeming qualities.
However, after seeing how BYU’s production emphasized the parts that greed and power-lust play in the story, I now view the Romeo and Juliet with an entirely new perspective. The environment that Romeo and Juliet were raised in was one where love of money and social standing was paramount. The Capulets and the Montagues are left with the situation of dealing with the deaths of their children, a tragedy that is largely a result of their poisoned priorities. The warning against the consequences of greed and lust is a much more powerful and tragic message to me, and in my view it is a message that is more consistent with the multi-faceted themes found in Shakespeare’s other plays. Because of the unique staging of the BYU production of Romeo and Juliet, I can now more greatly appreciate the genius of Shakespeare’s original play, and I more fully understand how Gilded Age America is a manifestation of social ills that have plagued society for centuries.
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