Let me say this from the start: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is probably my least favorite of the Bard’s plays. While their tragic romance is the centerpiece of the story, as characters Mr. Montague and Ms. Capulet are often upstaged by others in the play. Mercutio is more ribald, Tybalt more hot-headed, the Nurse more fussily funny, the Capulet parents more obstinate — even the Prince of Verona pulls attention in his brief moments onstage. But the title characters are impulsive and impatient to an extreme that would be comical if the outcome were not so tragic.
That said, the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey has mounted a strong and at times moving production of Romeo and Juliet under the direction of Bonnie J. Monte. It is one that will satisfy both those who are long-familiar with the play and those who have never seen it staged before, and it is one that I recommend seeing.
In an inspired bit of casting, the title characters are played by Isaac Hickox-Young and Billie Wyatt — in real life, husband and wife. Both of them are fine actors with years-long associations with the Shakespeare Theatre in plays of all sorts by multiple playwrights. Here, they bring an extra layer of romantic fervor that the usual pairing of actors would find difficult to match.
The talented supporting cast, under Monte’s direction, adds much to the propulsive fervor of the play. I want to mention Celeste Ciulla’s Nurse, protective, practical, and devoted to her young mistress (don’t forget, Juliet is on the cusp of 14 when the play starts); Anthony Marble and Aurea Tomeski as the prideful, stubborn, and vindictive Capulet parents, with Tomeski a first-class fire-breathing bitch-mother; Quentin McCuiston’s Mercutio, a free-spirit irrepressibly seeing life for the joke that it often is; and Edward Furs as the Prince of Verona and the Friar Lawrence of Raphael Nash Thompson, both of whose efforts to stop the deadly feud between the Capulets and Montagues are thwarted by coincidence.
Scenic Designer Sarah Beth Hall has created a unit set using movable walls, curtains, statuary, and two levels of staging to create the public and private spaces of Verona (and the neighboring town of Mantua). The nearly intuitive use of light for dramatic effect is the product of Andrew Hungerford’s lighting designs. Director Monte does triple duty in designing the sounds of the city of Verona and its adjacent woods, as well as the lush look of the Veronese upper classes and royalty through her costume designs.
Romeo and Juliet has stood the test of time, both as a romantic tragedy and as a warning about the enormous cost of divisive civil unrest. It has been used as a basis for other plays and movies, including the musicals West Side Story and & Juliet. It is still presented on stages around the world, and its reputation only grows with each restaging. The version being presented by the Shakespeare Theatre of NJ is a worthy addition to this illustrious history. While I have never been in love with Romeo and Juliet, I strongly recommend making the trip to Drew University in Madison to experience this timeless tale of love and loss for yourselves.
Romeo and Juliet is presented by the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey at the F.M. Kirby Theatre on the campus of Drew University in Madison through Oct. 5, 2025. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to shakespearenj.org.
