WITH 'ROMEO,' THE PLAY'S THE THING.

Byline: Rob Lowman Entertainment Editor

``I don't mind if something's Shakespearean as long as it's not Shakespeare,'' reads the punchline of a recent New Yorker cartoon.

That pretty much sums up the challenge of mounting one of the Bard's better-known plays, ``Romeo and Juliet,'' which opened Sunday at the Ahmanson Theatre. It's almost as if overfamiliarity with the material breeds contempt (you know, the star-crossed lovers die at the end); so instead, productions are too often dressed up, disguised and gimmicked up in an effort to make them relevant to today's sensibilities.

The Ahmanson production has its own gimmick - multiracial casting, with Romeo (DB Woodside) and most of the Montagues being African-American, Mercutio (Jesse Borrego) Latino and Lady Montague (Sharon Omi) Asian-American. If the aim was to add a contemporary commentary on the blood feud between the Capulets and the Montagues, this version misses its mark.

Luckily, Sir Peter Hall's robust, straight-ahead telling of ``Romeo and Juliet'' succeeds on many other levels - most importantly as joyous entertainment, which, after all, is what we want when we go to the theater. And then there's Lynn Collins as the teen-age Capulet daughter; she's a Juliet to die for. The recent Juilliard graduate's Juliet is sassy, impatient, impetuous and full of raging hormones. (Her thick auburn hair was showcased against her white or pale green costumes, giving a visual note to her fierce stage presence.) It is her performance that gives the play its fire.

Not quite matching her was Woodside's Romeo, who first comes on stage with a street-wise swagger. (Thankfully, neither of these teen-agers is played as a lovesick puppy.) While the youthful bravado that Woodside gives to Romeo often works for the character - especially early on - it also distracts at times from his performance, making his later switch to impassioned suitor less convincing. Still, he is an actor to watch.

There are many other performances worth noting. Dakin Matthews gives a stellar turn as Capulet, Juliet's father. He is - as are all fathers of teen-age girls - clueless about his daughter, raging when his will is defied, overindulgent when he thinks he is having his way. Matthews makes a foolish Capulet human.

Miriam Margolyes as Juliet's nurse and confidant is delightful comic relief, but still manages to make the old woman more than a one-note role. And, as Friar Laurence, Michael Gross casts a solid figure.

In the end, though, it is ultimately Shakespeare's words - and how they are conveyed - that carry the play. At three hours plus, this production shows that Hall and his crew have taken their time.

Rather than bowing to the pressures to streamline the Bard, they have instead celebrated the prose. Shakespeare can be a mouthful that ends up as a pocketful of mumbles in the wrong hands. Hall's actors stress the comedy, playing to the audience. The results are a full-bodied play. This may not be to everyone's liking, though. Despite the trappings - the multiracial casting, the ambiguous setting, the sexually suggestive masks - Hall's production highlights why this play, with its timeless story and gorgeously intricate language, has endured.

Anytime you can do this with fine acting and production values, that's all the razzle-dazzle needed. Shakespearean indeed.

``ROMEO AND JULIET''

Where: Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown Los Angeles.

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday; through March 18.

Tickets: $25 to $55. Call [phone].

Our Rating: Three and one half stars

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Michael Gross as Friar Laurence, left, and DB Woodside as Romeo share a scene in the Ahmanson Theatre production of ``Romeo and Juliet.''

(2) Juliet (Lynn Collins), left, discusses life with her nurse (Miriam Margolyes) in ``Romeo and Juliet.'