Fall Preview: Gabby Beans Promises a Young, Fresh, Queer Romeo + Juliet

Romeo + Juliet, Shakespeare’s tragedy of star-cross’d love, is a perennial of the stage. What sets this new production, led by Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor, apart?

“If a bunch of young, gorgeous, queer people broke into Circle in the Square and decided to just do the play… That’s what [audiences are] in for,” Gabby Beans told The Broadway Show.

As a performer, Beans can really get her teeth into a rich text—she was nominated for a Tony for her performance in The Skin of Our Teeth—but this production marks Beans’ first professional opportunity to perform Shakespeare. Her casting in dual roles—the wisecracking Mercutio and bumbling Friar Lawrence—adds an extra layer of intriguing complexity. “These are two diametrically opposed characters in terms of energy and what they want in the play."

That contrast is what initially drew her to audition, alongside the opportunity to work with director Sam Gold on a hip, modern take on the play. “There’s this vibe of, this is Romeo and Juliet for a new young audience. And part of me kind of was like, what does that mean? But what we've been finding out in the room is really distilling the essence of this story, which is a deeply human universal story of love and culture in society and bringing that forward. It's not that we are putting anything on top of this text. It's like we're excavating all of the juiciness that's deeply human and essential and almost primordial.”

“Sam did a very ruthless but genius cut of the piece,” continued Beans. “So it's going to run a lot faster. You will recognize the words, but the context that you see them in and the way that people are saying them hopefully feels pretty fresh.”

Check out the full segment below.