Shakespeare@, Jersey City’s premier classical theatre, announced today they will re-launch as The Curtain, with an all-new production of William Shakespeare’s classic Romeo & Juliet. Directed and Adapted by Sean Hagerty, The Curtain’s Romeo & Juliet will play the Nimbus Arts Center (329 Warren Street), in downtown Jersey City just steps from the PATH train, with performances beginning Thursday, September 28th ahead of an opening night set for Saturday, September 30th. The show is set to run through Sunday, October 22nd. Tickets, all priced at an accessible $25, are now available for purchase at TheCurtain.org.

Leading the cast are Aria Shaghasemi (series regular on CW’s “The Originals” & spin-off “Legacies”) as ‘Romeo’ and Italian actress and Venice Film Festival Pasinetti Award winner Anita Pomario (The Macaluso Sisters) as ‘Juliet’, in her American stage debut.

They are joined by Andrew Sellon (Mr. Penn, recurring on FOX’s “Gotham”) as ‘Friar Laurence’, Mark Torres (Amadeus on Broadway) as ‘Capulet’, Thia Stephan (Shakespeare@’s Hamlet and Julius Caesar) as ‘Lady Capulet’, and Christianna Nelson (Shakespeare & Co. member) as ‘The Nurse’. Completing the cast are Joshua T. Crockett, Jonathan Dauermann, Ariel Diaz-Beato, Ido Gal, Tucker Lewis, Francis Mateo, Jomack Miranda, Abel Santiago, Miles Segura, and Mark Torres. Casting is by Robin Carus, CSA.

Beloved by audiences for centuries, Romeo & Juliet tells the unforgettable story of generational divides, forbidden love, and star-crossed fates. Set at the dawn of the Jazz Age, this diverse and star-studded production of the timeless classic features some of Shakespeare’s most breathtaking language and poetry. In partnership with Nimbus Dance, The Curtain’s Romeo & Juliet will feature a rollicking ‘20s dance number.

“I am beyond thrilled to announce our return to stage performance, bringing Shakespeare@ to a new life as The Curtain,” said Sean Hagerty, Producing Artistic Director. “Romeo & Juliet strikes me as the perfect story for our time—and setting it at the dawn of the Jazz Age in 1920 makes absolute sense with its inherent themes of the age-old conflict between the young and the old, new movements vs. the old establishment, and the societal divides that can stifle beauty and destroy love. All of us feel very grateful and fortunate to make our return with this show and this incredible international cast. We are excited to bring our vision back to Jersey City and our devoted audiences.”

The creative team for The Curtain’s Romeo & Juliet will feature Sean Hagerty (Director & Adaptor), William Ward (Costume Design), Olivia Loverde (Lighting Design), the Emmy-winning team Sonic Designs (Sound Design), Nora Leonhardt (Voice and Speech Coach), and Brad Lemons (Fight Director & Intimacy Coordinator). The production will be stage managed by Allison Hohman.

The Curtain was founded to deliver accessible interpretations of classic works with a focus on international and cross-cultural exchange. Their debut, under the moniker Shakespeare@ Grace Church, was a lush 2019 production of Hamlet starring Jonathan Forbes (Amazon’s “Catastrophe”) and SAG Award nominee Eden Brolin (Paramount’s “Yellowstone”), which garnered rave reviews and was hailed as “theatrical perfection,” selling out its run at Grace Church Van Vorst in Jersey City. After COVID hit in 2020, Producing Artistic Director Sean Hagerty re-structured the company’s format to ensure they continued productions, employed artists, and served their mission by conceiving of the all-sonic performance project, “Shakespeare@ Home”. Partnering with the Emmy-winning team at Sonic Designs, they set out to recapture the great heyday of serialized radio drama of the 1930’s and ‘40’s. The productions, Richard II (starring Jamie Ballard, Harry Potter from the West End’s …Cursed Child), The Tempest (starring RSC veteran David Hargreaves), and Julius Caesar (starring Tony nominee and Grammy winner Patrick Page) received award nominations and multiple accolades from critics and audiences. They now return to live performance with an international, star-studded production of Romeo & Juliet.

For additional information, please visit TheCurtain.org.