Mixing stunning visual effects with capable actors, Theatre Works USA gave a performance of Romeo and Juliet Monday that was intriguingly contemporary and mostly well done.

The lights came up on a Stephens stage populated by actors in ripped black leather with a backdrop of twisted glass and metal. The actors rarely stood still, and the acrobatic quality of their movements was heightened by vivid red and blue lights.

A rock soundtrack thumped in the background and added suspense to key points. All of these staging elements combined to transfix the eyes of the audience and keep the show moving at a brisk pace.

As Juliet, Katherine Clark did the strongest work in a cast whose abilities ranged from vibrant to colorless. Her Juliet was youthful and nimble, with truthful emotions. She clearly captured the meanings of the lines through excellent intonation and enunciation.

Costumed in vivid red capes throughout the show, Clark was truly the bright spot on stage and gave the impression of being genuinely in love with her Romeo.

Though Michael LiDondici’s Romeo created physical chemistry when he had Juliet in his arms, his time apart from her showed him to be a stiffer mover with stilted pronunciation. He seemed more comfortable expressing anger than love and was more effective in the fight scenes.

Romeo’s friends were enjoyable to watch and featured Bradford West as a restless, charismatic Mercutio, and Michael Wayne Rice as a fun, empathetic Benvolio.

The fathers of both families (Julian M. Brougton as Montague and Robin Bloodworth as Capulet) had stage presences that were strong and imposing. Brian McCoy earned many laughs as a silly, rollicking Peter.

A few actors needed to work on their vocal projection. Judith Wood carried herself well as an elitist Lady Capulet, but due to the higher voice she used, only one of ten words she spoke was comprehendable.

Paris Campbell made a compassionate, reasonable Friar Laurence but his voice was also too soft at times. In a Shakespeare play where much of the beauty is based on the rich and complex language, much is lost when the words can’t be heard to be understood.

The director, Rob Barron, should be applauded for his choice of a female Tybalt that gave a modern twist to the play. Tybalt was played by Jenn Schulte who had excellent dexterity for the dueling. However, she needed to find a few more motivations to shade the flatness of her always-irate character.

Barron also added another adjustment that proved haunting. After the star-crossed lovers died and the parents gathered around them in the vault, they “rose” from the slab and wandered around their relatives as spirits in a cold blue light.

For the matinee show at Stephens, the audience was made up primarily of students that had been bused in by area high schools.

The effectiveness of shows can often be judged by the attentiveness of the audience. During this show, the audience stayed silent and captivated, only making noise to laugh at the actors’ antics.

On a grading scale of A to F, this production earned a B+. The compelling staging and competent acting proved Shakespeare can be just as relevant in our time as it was 500 years ago.

Jessie Pohlman is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Woodstock, Ill.