There is a reason why Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare’s 436 year old tragic tale of star-crossed lovers, remains a staple on stages throughout the world. Who can’t still relate to its universal themes of tribal feuds and all-consuming love today? The Public Theater’s latest Shakespeare in the Park production, directed by Saheem Ali, updates the story with a contemporary angle focused on our nation’s immigration struggles. The set is dominated by a towering border wall on which the Montagues and their faction hang signs reading “DEFUND THE WALL” and “ABOLISH ICE.” It then makes sense that the setting is no longer Italy’s Verona but instead “Nueva Verona” where Spanish, not Italian is the native language.
For purists, that may very well be a deal breaker when deciding whether to see Ali’s bold concept. But there is no resisting the brazen audacity of the production featuring some truly great performances anchored by the two bilingual leads as the doomed lovers. Switching back and forth from English to Spanish, Daniel Bravo Hernandez and Ra’Mya Latiah Aikens are sensational; and they have chemistry. He’s a fireball in the throes of ecstasy. She’s slower to burn but when their love ignites, from first sight to the last, it’s incandescent on that giant stage.
It makes sense to hear this classic love story in Spanish. It is after all a romance language marked by a sensuality that English can’t quite match. Of course it means that some of the Bard’s glorious verse will be missed by non-Spanish-speaking audiences. But on the other hand, the words are almost redundant given the intensity and passion of the performances. The emotions they convey are heartbreakingly clear. And somehow, that’s all the translation we need.
Other standouts in the cast include Deirdre O’Connell, playing Juliet’s devoted Nurse as a cigarette smoking, liquor swilling lush with a soft heart. To her credit, it’s a performance that could so easily go over the top and steal a scene or two, but she’s a generous actor who knows when to pull it back.
Mercutio is always ripe for interpretation and in this production, Caleb Joshua Eberhardt is off the wall, literally in spots. And he too delivers a disciplined yet wild take on Romeo’s impulsive best friend. Tall and angular he’s giving a full-bodied performance filled with actorly tricks that delight and surprise. Especially impressive is his Queen Mab speech criticizing Romeo with the right mix of devotion and cynicism.
Frances Jue puts a Zen spin on the role of Friar Lawrence, who tries in vain to help the determined lovers. He evokes a warm spirituality so convincing we almost believe that he can pull off a miracle and save the tragic couple in the end.
Juliet’s parents – Lord and Lady Capulet – are played by Glenn Fleshler and LaChanze with some of the best acting I’ve seen on that Delacorte stage. Fleshler’s rage against Juliet when she refuses to marry Paris is utterly chilling. LaChanze’s musical talents are an added bonus especially when joined by Latiah, lending their beautiful voices in song.
There are plenty of other reasons to be wowed by this production. I have to wonder if Oana Botez was working with some chemical enhancements when designing the masquerade costumes. They’re a deliriously freakish collection of whimsy and pagan fever-dreams. Contrasting the lavishness of those scenes, the play opens with very simple haunting imagery – three black-robed creatures wearing ram masks. It’s all that’s needed to establish a sense of doom and death.
Scenic designer Maruti Evans has a lot of space to play with on the Delacorte Theater’s renovated stage and he’s come up with some dazzling visuals. He makes excellent use of a pit centerstage that allows for scenery to emerge and disappear. In the prologue, a gold statue rises from below depicting Romeo and Juliet (the costumed actors) as winged angels. It’s the centerpiece of a stunning tableau.
This is not a perfect production and there are some head-scratching moments. The play is predictably long, alternately feeling like too much and not enough. But this is Shakespeare in the Park after all where you should expect the unexpected. If the staging is inconsistent, it’s also thrillingly original. And in the best moments, when it all comes together, it can take your breath away.
And finally, just to prove that love is indeed the universal language, every performance ends with a couple invited from the audience to recite their wedding vows up on the stage. Frances Jue who plays the Friar is actually a registered marriage officiant. It’s a very touching end to a transporting night under the stars.
Romeo and Juliet opened June 11, 2026, at the Delacorte Theater and runs through June 28. Information: publictheater.org Tickets: Five Easy Ways to Get Tickets
