‘Romeo and Juliet’ Gains Resonance in 1800s Ireland

Wherever people are divided by generational conflict, there is a potential lesson to be learned from Shakespeare’s famous star-crossed lovers--which is why “Romeo and Juliet” so easily lends itself to new settings.

Nevertheless, Michael J. Arndt’s decision to set the piece in strife-torn Ireland of the early 19th century is particularly inspired.

Aside from the sadly appropriate context of perpetual bloodshed, the setting also affords a lavish spectacle for the free outdoor Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival, replete with period costumes, traditional figure dancing and incidental Celtic music--all strikingly effective in their lush romanticism.

But Arndt is too skillful a director to be seduced from his primary mission. Concept notwithstanding, the play’s still the thing, and rarely does one encounter such an accomplished rendering of Shakespeare’s verse, delivered at a brisk clip with clarity, precision and lack of affectation.

This accessibility is so widespread among the large cast that one suspects Arndt of running some kind of Bardic boot camp.

Yet credit is also due the performers in the close reading of the text that informs this staging, particularly in the appealing title characters (Stephen Reyes, Jannah Ferguson), Jordan Bridges’ noble Mercutio, Niall Padden’s thundering Capulet patriarch, Robert Nairn’s kindly priest and Susan Kelejian’s saucy Nurse.

Brimming with youthful vitality, there is never a dull moment--nor a dull blade--here, thanks to excellent production values. Now in its fourth year, the Kingsmen Festival is solidly established as one of the Southland’s authoritative Shakespearean resources.

BE THERE

“Romeo and Juliet,” Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival, California Lutheran University, Olsen and Mountclef roads, Thousand Oaks. This Friday-Sunday, 8 p.m.; also July 21-23, 8 p.m. Pre-show picnicking and entertainment from 5:30 p.m. Ends July 23. Free lawn seating; limited reserved seats, $10. (805) 493-3455. Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes.