Free Shakespeare in the Park's 'Romeo and Juliet'

The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s Romeo and Juliet celebrates Shakespeare’s remarkable genre-defying play, which soars to the heights of romantic comedy before plunging into heartbreak.

Shows take place on the park-like grounds of Sequoia High School, 1201 Brewster Ave at Broadway. Romeo and Juliet plays August 8-23 on Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 4:00 pm. Come early to get a great spot and enjoy our 15-minute Green Show, starting 30 minutes before show time. A Pre-Pary in Fair Verona provides a fun and informative introduction to the play that will be enjoyed by all ages!

SF Shakes Artistic Director Rebecca J. Ennals continues her historically-based, thoughtfully relevant approach to Shakespeare’s plays with this beloved favorite, filled with some of Shakespeare’s most beautifully poetic language. While the doomed lovers will always be remembered for their romantic devotion, this tale of five young lives needlessly wasted could have come straight from today’s Twitter or Facebook feeds. A culture of violence, inherited from past generations, leads young people to harbor meaningless prejudices and commit terrible acts.

Shakespeare’s young characters live secret lives unknown to their parents, and love, kill, and die without most of the older generation knowing why. How does a community recover from a culture of violence? Shakespeare leaves us with the possibility of hope and healing, a message much needed today.