Philadelphia-based Arden Theatre Company continues its 2025/26 season with William Shakespeare’s enduring classic, Romeo and Juliet, stripping his most famous tragedy to its emotional core, revealing a searing examination of what happens when love is born in a world unwilling to change, said event spokesperson(s).
The production directed by Barrymore Award–winning director Amina Robinson, offers a bold and resonant vision of Shakespeare’s iconic work. According to organizers, the show will run March 5 through April 5 on the F. Otto Haas Stage. The reimagining of this most celebrated tragedy breathes new life into a story that confronts cycles of violence, power, and lost innocence, blending contemporary perspectives with classic Shakespearean elements.
In Romeo and Juliet, a story audiences know well, two young lovers fall in love hard and fast, only to be torn apart by families bound to an ancient feud. However, Robinson’s production strips the play to its emotional core, highlighting both the breathtaking beauty and devastating cost of love born in a divided world. The event spokesperson(s) say Romeo and Juliet serves as a powerful reminder of the risks we take for love and of a society unwilling to change. Through a seamless blend of classical, contemporary design and text, the production creates a world that feels timeless.
“It became clear that I had to do this play now because Shakespeare’s allegorical classic begs us to answer the questions, ‘Why?’ and ‘When will it end?’” said Robinson. “We are at war with one another and don’t even remember when it began. This production seeks to highlight the idea that we are more alike in dignity’ than not and to question who is really pulling the strings to keep us fighting one another for generations.”
Under Robinson’s direction, an actor, director, and professor at Temple University, the production brings her bold, incisive vision of Romeo and Juliet to life. Robinson has directed several acclaimed productions at the Arden, including Once on This Island and Intimate Apparel, earning Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Direction for both, according to officials.
The dynamic cast blends new and familiar faces for Arden audiences, bringing together artists with deep Shakespearean experience and fresh perspectives to create a vibrant ensemble. Gabe Moses and Francesca Santodomingo portray Romeo and Juliet. Moses returns to the Arden, where he previously appeared in RENT and Santodomingo makes her Arden debut. Click here to view other cast members.
Credit: Arden Theatre
Romeo and Juliet begins previews on March 5, 2026, and runs through April 5, 2026, on the F. Otto Haas Stage. Single ticket prices vary by performance. According to officials, tickets are available by phone at 215.922.1122, at the box office at Arden Theatre Company (40 N. 2nd Street in Philadelphia) or click here for online purchase.
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Special performances and events for Romeo and Juliet include:
- Smart Caption Glasses – Beginning Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Wearable, customizable closed-captioning glasses are available to reserve for performances. Click here to learn more. - Open Captioned & Audio Described Performances – Friday, March 27, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 28, at 2 p.m.
Live on-stage captions and audio description will be provided. - Teen Night – Saturday, March 28, at 7 p.m. – $15 tickets and a post-show talkback for teens ages 13–18.
- Young Friends Night – Thursday, March 26, at 7 p.m.
- Pre-show networking and a post-show talkback for professionals 40 and under. – Use code: YFARDEN
- Student Matinees – Thursday, March 12, at 10:30 a.m.; Tuesday, March 17, at 10:30 a.m.; Friday, March 20, at 10:30 a.m.; Tuesday, March 24, at 10:30 a.m.; Tuesday, March 31, at 10:30 a.m. – Interested school groups can click here to submit a Group Inquiry.
- Post-Show Talkbacks – Sunday, March 22 at 2 p.m. & Thursday, April 2, at 7 p.m. –
Join an Arden’s artist team member for a post-show discussion.
The Arden is fully accessible and includes assistive listening devices, sensory processing tools, smart caption glasses, large-print programs, and more. Click here to learn more.
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