Romeo and Juliet turn their backs on their parents’ ancient feud and embark on an intense and secret love affair that explodes in some of the fieriest writing about love in the history of the stage. With their families at war, the lovers risk everything to be together, in a fierce and famous drama of love and revenge
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young Italian star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families.
It was among Shakespeare’s most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers.
Romeo and Juliet belong to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to antiquity. The plot is based on an Italian tale translated into verse as The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet by Arthur Brooke in 1562 and retold in prose in Palace of Pleasure by William Painter in 1567. Shakespeare borrowed heavily from both but expanded the plot by developing a number of supporting characters, particularly Mercutio and Paris. Believed to have been written between 1591 and 1595, the play was first published in a quarto version in 1597. The text of the first quarto version was of poor quality, however, and later editions corrected the text to conform more closely with Shakespeare’s original.
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Shakespeare by the Sea turns neighborhood parks into open-air stages, bringing professional live theatre to communities all over Southern California—completely free to attend. But free for the audience doesn’t mean free to produce. SBTS relies on the support of people like you to fund the actors, costumes, sets, and crews that make each summer season possible. If you enjoyed the performance—or just love that this kind of experience exists—please consider making a donation to help keep the magic going. Just click or scan the code. Every little bit helps.
