By Azhara Raban
The dancing was energetic and the characters vibrant. Each one played his or her part effectively. The differences between the Puerto Ricans and the "native" Americans were brought out effectively not only through their costumes and make-up but also through their dancing.

"West Side Story" performed by the Work Shop Players and shown at the Lionel Wendt Theatre was indeed entertaining. Yet, as many viewers remarked, it could have been better. The scenes that demanded intense emotional portrayal failed to live up to expectations or touch the hearts of the audience.

This is with the exception of perhaps one scene - the bar scene where Anita, a Puerto Rican girl, was physically abused by the American 'lads'. This was the only moving scene in the whole musical; not even Tony's death received the sympathy that Anita received after the bar scene.

Certain scenes were incomprehensible - audiences, for instance, were baffled when the murdered Bernardo and Riff come back to life and joined in the dancing not very long after their 'execution'. The two dead men are very much alive in subsequent scenes as well and this the audience could have done without.

Meanwhile, the all-important love scenes were disappointing and repetitive. The couple just did not 'click', as some viewers put it. Singing by certain actors could also have improved.

Yet credit must be given where credit is due. The performances by Krishan Jayaratnam, Suren de S. Wijeratne and Samantha de S. Wijeratne in song, dance and acting were remarkable and their performances help cover, to some extent, the shortcomings of the other scenes.

The lighting, props and costumes were successful in depicting a typical American street setting of the 1940s and Jerome de Silva's (who also designed and directed "West Side Story") choreography was more than a little good. All in all it was an admirable effort.