"Romeo and Juliet," which last night opened at the Antioch theater in Yellow Springs, is one of Shakespeare's early plays, sprinkled with the self-conscious poetry that young men in literature always toss to their loves. In later plays, Shakespeare was able to write poetry that linked itself completely with the action of the drama. When removed from its play, such poetry lost much of its power. But "Romeo and Juliet" is filled with flowery talk that can be recited anywhere and nowhere. This makes things tough for actors. They have to be in complete control of Shakespeare's words. Otherwise, each performer may sound as if he’s going through his high school sophomore play with a sign on his back, "Look, Ma, I’m reciting poetry..."

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