The play itself was very well written. It was just the right length that it got the story across, as well as a few funny moments, without losing the attention of our modern digital-oriented teen audience. The costumes were simple and clever, and needed very little explaining. The audience participation was just the right amount without feeling to cheezy, with the feeling more like a sports event with the on-lookers cheering for a favorite team. The actors were very talented, and their ability to improvise on the fly was impressive. I cannot think of anything truly bad about the play, and I truly enjoyed myself.
Thank you very much for the experience,
-Thomas W.H.

After seeing the play “Romeo and Juliet” this Tuesday, I thought that they did a fantastic job! These guys were all very energetic, excited, and loud! I felt that in the way they acted, it drew me in, and I remained engaged in the play. I loved the fact that it is like a 3-D movie, right in your face, making the experience all the more real! Seeing men such as these really make me feel energetic and makes me think of getting into a play myself. I would most definitely go and see a play again by this company.

-Dominick B.

Romeo & Juliet on Tuesday was a really exciting and rewarding experience for me. The guys from Whistling in the Dark theatre were exciting people and were funny and inviting, so I didn’t really feel nervous at all (except for at the beginning, when they were introducing themselves) even though I’ve had terrible stage fright for a while. I thought it was inspiring too, that I went on their website and the definition of the phrase “whistling in the dark” is summoning up someone’s courage or optimism in a difficult situation or being confident that something good will happen when it is not at all likely (or to make/witness theatre that reminds you why you like theatre) and I appreciate the first definition best. I actually didn’t know until the day before the play that it would be in front of the whole school, but I found out that doing a play in front of your whole school as the only student onstage was a ‘difficult’ situation, but there I was, feeling great. I’ve also been in this place recently where I’ve been feeling that even though I can hang out with almost anyone I usually feel alone- but since Tuesday I’ve been feeling a lot better about life in general. It was really important and good for me, and I appreciate it.

-Alexandra S.

I very much enjoyed the performance from Whistling in the Dark Theatre. Their performance was quick but a great summary of shakespeares work, and their acting demonstrated not only that they knew the meaning of every word of old english they spoke, but also that they could use their skills to improy the meanings of the old texts so that even those in the audience who  have a limited vocabulary could understand what was going on. The audience participation in the play was also great because it allowed all of us to be involved, and we also got to see our peer Alex Scott star, which connected us immediately to the story. I really enjoy when our school connects with organizations that aren't necessarily STEM-related because it helps students become well-rounded and opens them to new pathways of thinking, as well as allowing them to enjoy the beauty of the arts.

-Claire S.

I really enjoyed the play. It was truly better than sitting in a movie theatre, watching it on the big screen. I felt more interested in the play, especially since there were 3 guys playing all these roles in the play of “Romeo and Juliet”.

I really liked how they showed so much emotion within their roles, they acted so committed and you could tell they really wanted to catch the audiences attention. I enjoyed that they included the audience and related back our time period. For example, when Romeo entered the scene he was listening to his CD (which we don’t do anymore) player, and he was listening to the kind of music we listen to today, “Bad Romance, by Lady Gaga”. That really made everyone laugh.

The actors sense of humor, the way they preformed, from the beginning to the end, I really enjoyed it. It makes me miss performances like these. I really wish that we could have more of these. After seeing this play, I realize that watching a movie takes away from the true experience of a “good time”. I enjoyed it so much, my friends and I plan on seeing their December play. This was truly a great experience for all of Metro.

-Malaysia T.

I really enjoyed the play, it was entertaining and it kept me engaged. I really loved it. When Romeo was really mad or almost in tears, he really looked like he was angry. It was almost scary. Some parts were really funny because of how awkward it was between Romeo and Juliet, (who was played by a girl from the audience named Alex) like the part when they kiss at the ball. He took her hand and they got close, and everyone burst out in laughter. I also really like how they cut out the parts that were kind of unnecessary, like the part with Friar Lawrence when he was speaking about all of the herbs and things he grows. It made the play so much shorter and it helped the audience follow along more and stay more engaged. Another thing they did that made the play good was the part when Romeo was listening to music; they used a song that everyone knew, because it is a contemporary song by Lady Gaga called “Bad Romance.” It was great, and Romeo was singing it. It was hilarious.

Overall, the play was great. I would really love to go see another play by the company Whistling In The Dark.

-Kaleigh L.

I came into the play with a bad attitude, and before I started I have to admit I thought it was going to be stupid. However I couldn’t help but have a good time. It was cool to see these normal guys totally get into it, and really play their rolls. Im not really someone who thinks watching a play is fun, let alone romeo and juliet but what they did was really good and entertaining, and I think I speak for everyone. Overall, I ended up liking the play a lot, thought they were some cool guys, and I would be excited if they were planning on coming back.

-Ross K.

I really loved the play. Kids our age seldom know Shakespeare's plays plays, and being able to adapt it to the interests of kids my age is not an easy task. After the performance, I asked if they had any workshops for writing scripts. I hope we can develop a relationship with this theater group. It will be good for Metro.

-Eugenio B.

The Romeo X Juliet play was a very entertaining and fun-filled experience. The actors did a very good job of covering the material of the entire play, even if it was abridged. This achievement becomes even more notable when you consider the fact that the stage crew is so small, and there are very few actors. The acting was very enthusiastic, which allowed for a better feel for the characters; it meant more for the story when a character was in pain or was dying. It was also nice how the actors involved the audience through the Capulet and Montague feud; this also helped develop the story and let the viewers have a deeper understanding of the rivalry. Finally, it was nice that although the entire play was not spoken in modern English, based on the context of what was happening, it was common sense to figure out what was being said. All in all, with no major flaws, the play was a huge success, deserving of commendation and merit. –Bleul A.

In my honest opinion I thought that the Romeo and Juliet play that was performed here at metro was awesome. It was hilarious and really engaged the audience in the performance. Choosing a girl from the audience to play Juliet is a great idea because than people actually get to see someone they know acting in the play and its makes it seem much more real since she had not rehearsed it before or anything. The part with Ms. Krista suddenly acting as Rosaline kept everyone laughing their heads off was so funny since it was completely unexpected and took everyone by surprise. The whistling in the dark theatre group did a great job and performed very well. During the play I thought it was amazing how believe they were as characters when they kept switching from one role to the next. They made it so that the audience would be able to easily differentiate between the characters they acted as even though it was the same people playing all the different roles. One second they would be a Montague and the next second they were a Capulet. The transformation from one character to the next was unbelievable. I think that it would be awesome if Metro could do something like that in the school. The theatre club last year didn’t really take off or go anywhere, but with some more effort put in it students might actually be able to pull off a play like that. That would be amazing because its fun, its entertaining, and its people you know acting completely like something they are not.

Noelle K.