L.A. Troupe Brings Tale of Star-Crossed Lovers to Kids

“O true apothecary!

Thy drugs are quick.

Thus with a kiss I die.”

--Romeo

“O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die.”

--Juliet

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Teenage lovers, murder and suicide--too heavy for children? Not in the L.A. Troupe Theatre-in-Education’s faithful, though much abbreviated, production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” at the Wooden-O Theatre in West L.A.

Although it’s a condensed version of the classic, with large blocks of dialogue and whole scenes missing, the language is intact and the veteran company of adult theater professionals manages to imbue the truncated proceedings with a sense of the play’s humor, youthful vigor and tragedy.

Although there’s not a lot of depth as things clip along under the direction of company co-founder Cherie Brown, the actors do a better job than you might think in the tiny black box theater, where costuming is modest but effective and the sketchy set is rendered with more will than skill.

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Handsome Christopher Johnston and pretty Stacey Leigh Miller are appealing as the impetuous young lovers. Michael Antonik as Mercutio and Edgar Schultz as Tybalt are convincingly macho and hotheaded, and the satisfyingly clashing swordplay is authentic.

The lover’s passion is of the chaste fairy tale variety here, portrayed with fervent hand-holding, hugs and a few eager kisses--children at a recent performance didn’t squirm much.

If possible, don’t miss the engaging prelude to the show, a one-hour workshop beforehand, conducted by co-founder Koni McCurdy to familiarize and involve children with the play.

The workshop is a performance in itself. Animated and professional, McCurdy is a captivating storyteller, explaining the play, giving some background about theater in Shakespeare’s time and deftly engaging the audience in the process, even when they’re too shy to participate actively.

She winds up with the “O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?” speech and the lovers’ last words, giving audience members, both children and adults, a chance to perform them.

Next up, opening June 2, is Homer’s “The Odyssey.”

* “Romeo and Juliet,” Wooden-O Theatre, 2207 Federal Ave., West L.A., Sundays, workshop, 11 a.m.; performance, noon, through May 26. Ages 6 and older. $7; $12.50 with workshop. Running time: workshop, 1 hour; performance, 45 minutes. (310) 477-2199.

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Bear Hugs: Have you and your children met Old Bear yet? If you have a preschooler or child of early elementary school age at home, don’t miss two new releases in the “Jane Hissey’s Old Bear Stories” video series.

Done in stop-motion animation, the videos, featuring three stories each, bring Hissey’s gentle tales about playroom toys to enchanting life. In “Friends, Friends, Friends,” Old Bear, the playroom patriarch, and Jolly Tall the Giraffe are introduced and the toys help a little owl find a new nest.

In “Happy Birthday, Old Bear,” a lonely toy dog who “was left in the garden next door” is given seven birthday parties to make up for never having one, the toys compete in a costume parade and Old Bear is feted with a birthday band.

The charm of the characters is not only in their design, but also in the friendship and caring they show each other and in a welcome lack of cynical attitude so common in much of children’s entertainment.

* “Jane Hissey’s Old Bear Stories”: “Friends, Friends, Friends” and “Happy Birthday, Old Bear,” Sony Wonder, 30 minutes. $9.98 each.