Broadway’s new adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” directed by Sam Gold and starring Rachel Zegler as Juliet and Kit Connor as Romeo, captures the attention of fans and audience members as they witness a reinterpretation of this iconic love story. With its perpetual themes of love, fate and the consequences of societal pressure, “Romeo and Juliet” remains one of Shakespeare’s most enduring works.
Shakespeare’s plays remain an integral part of literature and drama, studied by liberal arts students from the high school to collegiate level. Several of Shakespeare’s works, including “Romeo and Juliet,” are deeply intertwined with the English curriculum at several middle and high schools. At Lambert, freshmen study the tragic story of the star-crossed lovers each year.
“When I teach “Romeo and Juliet” to my students, I like to introduce the time period and talk about who Shakespeare was,” 9th grade English teacher Ms. Emory said. “It is important for the students to understand how society was shaped during this time, and how that significantly impacted Shakespeare’s writing.”
A revolutionary thinker during his time, Shakespeare addressed several stigmatized issues such as race, gender and sexuality through his writing. By doing so, he challenged societal norms and sparked conversations about topics like personal freedom, gender roles and the consequences of rigid social structures, many of which are still relevant today.
“Shakespeare was way ahead of his time,” Ms. Emory stated. “These days, he would be called a feminist. He was trying to point out …how it was wrong to not allow people (women) to make choices and coerce people into doing things that they did not want to do.”
Encompassing universal ideas understood by all audience members while preserving Shakespeare’s authenticity is a challenge for the creators of various Shakespearean remakes. Devoted Shakespeare fans have been eager to witness how the Broadway adaptation will put a spin on the original play while maintaining its key elements.
“If the writers want to reach a new demographic, they’ll have to modernize the language, since a modern audience isn’t going to understand Shakespeare, “Ms. Emory stated. “But if the goal is ultimately to reach an audience who’s very familiar with Shakespeare, then they have to use traditional Shakespearean language.”
Over the years, various adaptations of the play have successfully brought the story to new audiences by making it more accessible to all kinds of viewers. The animated film “Gnomeo and Juliet” was designed to appeal to younger viewers, while Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film “Romeo + Juliet” set the story in modern-day Venice Beach, California instead of Verona, Italy. While retaining Shakespeare’s original dialogue, the film reinterpreted the setting to be more fit for the times it was released in.
Young fans are particularly excited to see their favorite actors make the beloved characters their own. Rachel Zegler, widely recognized for her role as Maria in “West Side Story,” and Kit Connor, known for his performance in “Heartstopper,” are fueling audience anticipation for the retelling of this classic story.
The upcoming production of “Romeo and Juliet” will run from October 24 through February 16, giving fans plenty of opportunities to witness this fresh take on the Shakespearean classic. As the show’s opening draws closer, fans –both old and new– eagerly await the contemporary take on this literary classic.
