Sam Gold

I want to think that in this moment, after the pandemic, and after people have had enough years, like, completely addicted to their phones, that young people are starting to really crave theater. I just was filled with... the desire to make something for young people. And I could see, you know, it was the spring and I was seeing November 5th coming, you know, we have this election.

I want to think that in this moment, after the pandemic, and after people have had enough years, like, completely addicted to their phones, that young people are starting to really crave theater. I just was filled with... the desire to make something for young people. And I could see, you know, it was the spring and I was seeing November 5th coming, you know, we have this election.

I want to think that in this moment, after the pandemic, and after people have had enough years, like, completely addicted to their phones, that young people are starting to really crave theater. I just was filled with... the desire to make something for young people. And I could see, you know, it was the spring and I was seeing November 5th coming, you know, we have this election.

What if I tried to open a play around the election that was gonna sort of put a fire under young people about what's really, really hard about life right now? Yeah. And I immediately thought of Romeo and Juliet, you know, two households both alike in dignity. That's the first two lines of the play. It's like we're more the same than we are different.

What if I tried to open a play around the election that was gonna sort of put a fire under young people about what's really, really hard about life right now? Yeah. And I immediately thought of Romeo and Juliet, you know, two households both alike in dignity. That's the first two lines of the play. It's like we're more the same than we are different.

What if I tried to open a play around the election that was gonna sort of put a fire under young people about what's really, really hard about life right now? Yeah. And I immediately thought of Romeo and Juliet, you know, two households both alike in dignity. That's the first two lines of the play. It's like we're more the same than we are different.

And theater becomes this place where we can come together. Even if you feel really differently than the person sitting next to you about who you're going to vote for, you breathe that same air. And Romeo and Juliet's a play where... Shakespeare is sacrificing these two kids with the idea that maybe the adults would wake up a bit to the ways they're hurting each other unnecessarily.

And theater becomes this place where we can come together. Even if you feel really differently than the person sitting next to you about who you're going to vote for, you breathe that same air. And Romeo and Juliet's a play where... Shakespeare is sacrificing these two kids with the idea that maybe the adults would wake up a bit to the ways they're hurting each other unnecessarily.

And theater becomes this place where we can come together. Even if you feel really differently than the person sitting next to you about who you're going to vote for, you breathe that same air. And Romeo and Juliet's a play where... Shakespeare is sacrificing these two kids with the idea that maybe the adults would wake up a bit to the ways they're hurting each other unnecessarily.

That's the thesis of that play.

That's the thesis of that play.

That's the thesis of that play.

I was like, what if we make a show where that generation of audience member feels spoken to, feels like this is for me, feels like I can come to this, I feel oriented. And then what you give them is Shakespeare, right? They want to be there and they want to take in this ritual that really reflects something deep about our society. And they do. Sort of 18 to 25 is sort of our audience.

I was like, what if we make a show where that generation of audience member feels spoken to, feels like this is for me, feels like I can come to this, I feel oriented. And then what you give them is Shakespeare, right? They want to be there and they want to take in this ritual that really reflects something deep about our society. And they do. Sort of 18 to 25 is sort of our audience.

I was like, what if we make a show where that generation of audience member feels spoken to, feels like this is for me, feels like I can come to this, I feel oriented. And then what you give them is Shakespeare, right? They want to be there and they want to take in this ritual that really reflects something deep about our society. And they do. Sort of 18 to 25 is sort of our audience.

And they are laughing at 400-year-old jokes. They are hearing – the wit, the poetry, the rhymes, the scansion, the sonnets, and they are responding to the language. They're not laughing at Kit's triceps. They're laughing at Shakespeare. You know, they're really hearing the play. So that was the goal. It was never... I did not mean to denigrate kids. It's not to be cynical.

And they are laughing at 400-year-old jokes. They are hearing – the wit, the poetry, the rhymes, the scansion, the sonnets, and they are responding to the language. They're not laughing at Kit's triceps. They're laughing at Shakespeare. You know, they're really hearing the play. So that was the goal. It was never... I did not mean to denigrate kids. It's not to be cynical.

And they are laughing at 400-year-old jokes. They are hearing – the wit, the poetry, the rhymes, the scansion, the sonnets, and they are responding to the language. They're not laughing at Kit's triceps. They're laughing at Shakespeare. You know, they're really hearing the play. So that was the goal. It was never... I did not mean to denigrate kids. It's not to be cynical.

I wanted the world on stage to reflect the world that that generation of audience member experiences in life, which is what Shakespeare did. Shakespeare was a populist, and Shakespeare was putting plays on to communicate very directly with his popular audience. The jokes were of the moment. There's a song referenced in Romeo and Juliet,

I wanted the world on stage to reflect the world that that generation of audience member experiences in life, which is what Shakespeare did. Shakespeare was a populist, and Shakespeare was putting plays on to communicate very directly with his popular audience. The jokes were of the moment. There's a song referenced in Romeo and Juliet,