Now playing at The Classic Theatre of San Antonio is ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ It runs through Sunday September 29 with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 8p.m. and Sunday at 3p.m. Tickets are $33 for general admission,  $29 for senior, military, educator or SATCO, and $18 for student and are available online or at the box office by calling (210) 589-8450. Written by William Shakespeare and directed by Joe Goscinski, this is one of Shakespeare’s most famous stories and revolves around two star-crossed lovers in the depths of forbidden love despite an ancient family feud

‘Romeo and Juliet’ is set in Verona, Italy and begins with an argument on the street between Montague and Capulet servants who, like their masters, are sworn enemies. It is broken up by Prince Escalus of Verona (Torrence White) who warns them that disturbance of the peace is punishable by death. Count Paris (Gabriel Maldonado) wants to marry Juliet (Alyx Gonzales) but Capulet (Gabriel Itzcoatl Luera) asks him to wait another two years and invites him to a ball the Capulet family is hosting. Romeo (Josh Davis) has a crush on Rosaline, one of Capulet’s nieces, so Benvolio (Laura Boyd)  persuads him to attend the Capulet ball so they can meet.  Instead, Romeo meets and is instantly smitten with Juliet. Despite being from feuding families, the two fall passionately in love and convince Friar Laurence (Carolyn Provencher) to marry them. He agrees in the hopes of reconciling the families through their children’s marriage.

With increasing pressure to marry Paris, Juliet visits the Friar for help and he offers her a potion that will temporarily put her in a deathlike coma. She takes the potion the night before her wedding to Paris and when she is discovered “dead,” she is laid in the family crypt.  Romeo does not receive word of Juliet’s plan in time, so when he learns of her death, he is heart broken and after buying poison from an apothecary, he rushes to the Capulet crypt.  Believing Juliet to be dead, he takes the poison and when Juliet awakens and sees him dead besides her, she stabs herself with Romeo’s dagger and joins him in death. In the end, the families do reconcile, but it is by their children’s deaths and not their marriage. They agree to end their feuding ways.

There is something unique about experiencing Shakespeare at The Classic Theatre.  The intimate theater setting combined with the talented cast makes the classics accessible to everyone, from newbies to seasoned fans. This is especially true for ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy examines the universal theme of love, but it also experiments with fate, chance and predetermination. By calling the couple “star-crossed lovers,” is their love predetermined by the stars but also doomed to eventually fail because they are from feuding families? The contemporary setting makes these themes relevant to modern times. Kudos to the costume designer for using monogrammed clothing so it is easier to distinguish the Montagues from the Capulets. Josh Davis and Alyx Gonzales have a magnetic stage presence and chemistry that brings Romeo and Juliet hauntingly to life. But it is Josh’s performance during the famous “balcony scene” that makes the audience truly feel the depth of the love he feels toward Juliet. Nick Lawson is excellent as Mercutio, Romeo’s close friend; his animated performance makes the often difficult dialogue easier to understand. ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a classic that never goes out of style and is now, more than ever, applicable to our times. It is a must-see production that should be experienced more than once.

*Special Student Performances — September 19 and 26, 2019 at 7p.m. School groups can register for this program online.