One Man Romeo

DC Theatre Scene: Among all the major Shakespeare characters, the one least susceptible to a one-actor treatment may be Romeo Montague, the doomed lover in Romeo and Juliet. Hamlet, Lear, Shylock, Othello all have great monologues, but actors illuminate Romeo mostly in relation to other characters — principally Juliet, but the Friar, the Nurse, Mercutio, Benvolio and Tybalt as well. Putting Romeo on stage without his scene partners is a perilous bit of business.