Romeo and Juliet—Together (and Alive!) at Last
By Sandra Fenichel Asher. From the book by Avi.
Product Code: R71000
Full-length Play
Comedy | Farce
Cast size: 7m., 10w., 7m. or w. Expandable to 35 roles.
Awards: The Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award
Rights and availability
This title can be licensed and sold in the following countries:
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States
* Please note the royalty rate listed is the minimum royalty rate per performance. The actual royalty rate will be determined upon completion of a royalty application.
Synopsis
The road to farce is paved with good intentions. Eighth-graders Pete Saltz and Anabell Stackpoole are in love, but terribly shy, so shy they can't even look at each other, let alone speak. (Anabell buries her head in books; Pete stuffs his mouth with peanut butter cookies.) To bring the two together, classmates Ed Sitrow, Lucy Neblet, Priscilla Black, and others decide to stage a performance of Romeo and Juliet, with the reluctant Pete and Anabell voted into the title roles. Ed and Priscilla pen the abridged script, including passages their English teacher has encouraged them to underline, leaving out everything they don't understand and imagining dream players speaking the lines to perfection. Lucy gamefully tackles the direction of the real-life cast. But lack of expertise, only two weeks of rehearsal, a set left over from the seventh-grade production of Washington Crossing the Delaware, and a classmate's villainy threaten the well-meaning endeavor every step of the way. When the big day finally arrives, lines are dropped, costumes rip, scenery tumbles, potions spill, and Juliet's bier nearly blows up. Yet, in spite of everything—or maybe because of it—true love triumphs in the end. Commissioned by the Laguna Playhouse and the University of Utah Department of Theatre.
Details
- Status In stock
- Type of Show Full-length Play
- Product Code R71000
- Minimum Cast Size 7
- Pages of Dialogue 89
- Min. Royalty Rate $110.00/perf
- Approx. Run Time 90 min
- Staging Area staging.
Categories
- Target Audience Young Audiences | Middle School | High School | Family (all ages)
- Performing Group Middle School | High School | College Theatre | Community Theatre | Professional Theatre | TYA
- Genre Comedy | Farce
- ISBN(13) 9781583422281
Customer Reviews
Our production of Romeo and Juliet—Together (and Alive!) at Last was a real crowd pleaser! I don't think I've ever been associated with a show that had the audience laughing so hard! Besides being highly entertaining, it is also a wonderful way to expose young audiences to one of Shakespeare's most beloved plays.
[This] is the perfect play for middle-school students. It gives them both the exposure to the classic play and the ability to play characters of their own age in a fun setting they are familiar with.
This play was so well suited for my middle school students. It was a comedy with a large cast, and my students could relate to the characters. I loved their gentle introduction to Shakespeare. They loved the physical comedy and variety of characters. The audience was so entertained. Many said it was the funniest play they had ever seen!
A fabulous middle school play. Juicy parts and some great opportunities for instruction in Shakespeare and farce. Hugely popular with our school audience.
Best middle school play ever! The kids had fun, the audience loved it! Good, clean fun! And we learned a lot about Shakespeare!
A great middle school production. Perfect for a spring play. The audience loved the performance. This was fun for everyone. The "second" Romeo & Juliet scenes were funny! Definitely need a variety of props ranging from swords to pool noodles. Big hit! Will be hard to duplicate the success!
I highly recommend this production. The students have a lot of fun putting it on and they learn a great deal about a Shakespearean production. Having a serious first act and a comic second act allows them to experience both theatrical elements Ñ comedy and tragedy Ñ in one play.
I chose this play because it was funny, romantic, and educational. The students loved learning about Shakespeare while also having fun with the slapstick second act. We have had fun, and I highly recommend this play to anyone with the courage to tackle Shakespeare.
A fantastic middle-school play! Very funny with lots of parts of all sizes. I loved the contrast between the farce of Act Two and the "Dream Play" in Act One, which gave the students a bit of experience with "real" Shakespeare. The audience loved it.
Hints, Tips, and Tricks
Confetti Canon for Hamilton explosion worked great!
Have space to perform and a good sound system, as there are over 60 sound cues.
For the smoke bomb we used an explosion sound effect and "condensed smoke" powder (supplied by Theatre House), lit by a hidden teacher. It created nearly instant smoke, very safely and inexpensively.
Production Map
| Location | City | State | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Middle School | Hamburg | NY | 04/03/2025 | 04/05/2025 |
| Lodi High School | Lodi | WI | 04/11/2025 | 04/13/2025 |
Gallery
Romeo and Juliet—Together (and Alive!) at Last - Friends Seminary, New York, NY
Also By These Authors
Frances Hazleton, Coppell Middle School West, Dallas, Texas