One of the pleasures of being a regular theatre-goer in Vancouver is to watch the progress of our actors, directors and musicians as they build their credibility and raise the bar on each performance and production. Director Dean Paul Gibson has been a joy to watch. I first saw him as an actor in George F. Walker’s gritty “Problem Child,” playing opposite Jillian Fargey. It was a mesmerizing play, and Gibson provided a superb performance. In the intervening years he has translated that dramatic talent into a directorial career that has increased in scope and in capability play by play.

His current opus, Romeo and Juliet at Bard on the Beach (which runs in repertory with “The Taming of the Shrew” until September 23) is a case in point. This is a spare, elegant and complete Romeo and Juliet. It isn’t the eviscerated version we often get for the sake of brevity. I have always wondered how directors make the decisions about cuts in plays that might be just a tad long for today’s audiences. Gibson does it superbly well.

The ensemble cast, as with all Bard on the Beach productions, is outstanding. Even the smallest part is honed to perfection and the characters all receive their full turn on the stage. Taylor Trowbridge, a Vancouver native, who has recently worked in Stratford is a superb Juliette. In her Bard premiere she gives a very realistic, almost feisty approach to the role. Kyle Rideout returns as Romeo and while he plays the callow youth superbly well, I would have preferred a more introspective approach. Nuances are so vital in these productions, and it is difficult at times to achieve just the right amount insight into a character.

There were moments in this Gibson production that were pure magic. Bob Frazer almost steals the entire show as a Mercutio who is worldly-wise, sassy and engaging. Duncan Fraser brought tears with his superb interpretation of a bereft father viewing his dead daughter’s body. It’s a production that is lean and clean, but with the full measure of the lovely cadences of Shakespeare’s wonderful language. Thank you, Dean Paul, for another splendid growth experience.