When Synetic Theater made its debut six years ago with “Hamlet… the rest is silence,” an adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic that eschewed the Bard’s dialogue, it seemed like a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience. Now, it has become a tradition with Synetic, which is currently offering “Romeo and Juliet,” their third and best yet “Silent Shakespeare” presentation.

» Synopsis

Two teenagers from feuding families, Romeo (Ben Cunis) of the Montagues and Juliet (Courtney Pauroso) of the Capulets, meet and fall in love. They are secretly married by Romeo’s mentor, Friar Lawrence (Iraki Kavsadze), but before they can break the news to their families, Romeo kills Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt (Ryan Sellers), in revenge for the murder of his best friend, Mercutio (Philip Fletcher), setting into motion a tragic chain of events culminating in the lovers’ double-suicide.

» The cast

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The entire cast successfully pulls off the combination of agile, physically demanding dancing and acting that audiences have come to expect from Synetic. A particular stand out is Marissa Molnar’s delightfully funny turn as Juliet’s nurse, a role normally played as a middle-aged spinster; here, in Molnar’s hands, the character becomes a much younger, bawdier tomboy.

» The crew

As usual, the husband-wife team of Paata (direction) and Irina (choreography) Tsikurishvili do absolutely brilliant work together. Anastasia Simes also rates kudos for designing Synetic’s most impressive set to date, a gigantic clock-work mechanism that symbolizes the borrowed time the two leading characters are living on.

» The highlights

The slapstick brawl between Mercutio and the nurse is a hilarious mix of breathtakingly acrobatics and physical comedy worthy of Buster Keaton.

» The bottom line

With “Romeo and Juliet,” Synetic has once again produced a fast-moving, visually stunning work, unlike anything else being done on local stages, that manages to be avant-garde without being pretentious. If you have never treated yourself to a Synetic show, this is a perfect opportunity to do so.