"R and J" -- awake for half

During our recent vacation to San Diego, future theater critic Jeremy Henerson attended the Old Globe Theatre production of "Romeo and Juliet." You are perhaps thinking, "poor kid, his sadist of a father even drags him to the thea-tuh, on his vacation."

Culture force-feed. I'm all for it.

Well, young J. lasted about 20 minutes into the first half before nodding off. When the lights came on for intermission, he snapped awake and vigorously joined the applause for a production he had largely dozed through.

During the intermission, however, he agreed to return for the second half rather than go home. He asked for "some encouragement!' and a brownie, received both, and stayed awake during the remainder of the show.

He'll be performing in a student production of a Shakespeare play later this year as part of a residency that his school does with the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. It would be ironic if they did "R and J."

For anyone in the San Diego vicinity, I do recommend their "R and J" which plays through September 28. I recommend the far less often staged "All's Well That Ends Well" (through Sept. 26) even more.