Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending

What would have happened if Romeo had turned down Juliet and decided to pursue Rosaline instead? Inspired by the possibility, "Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending" lets you rewrite the famous play. At three junctures the audience guides Romeo toward one of eight possible endings, six of them comedic.

It's hard to deny the relentless enthusiasm of this cast of five, but while the over-the-top portrayals of the familiar characters can be fun to watch—after an audience vote dealt a fatal blow to Tybalt (Matthew Sparacino), his extended death scene was a riot—it is just as often wearying and gratuitous. The same is true of the faux-Shakespearian dialogue, which integrates the Bard's famous lines with intentionally pithy asides ("Quit thy bitching" is nothing if not succinct). Besides a few quotes and a premise, this frothy romp has little in common with its source. Played strictly for laughs, it amuses and irks in equal measure.

Presented by the Impressionable Players as part of the New York International Fringe Festival at the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural Center's Teatro Sea, 107 Suffolk St., NYC. Aug. 13–26. Remaining performances: Sat., Aug. 20, 2:15 p.m.; Sun., Aug. 21, 2:30 p.m.; Fri., Aug 26, 6 p.m. (866) 468-7619 or www.fringenyc.org.