Romeo and Juliet has always been one of Shakespeare's most popular plays on stage and film. This edition provides the full text of the play as well as a thorough account of its production history, equally useful for the scholar, actor and director. The introduction examines major changes over four centuries of theatrical production. The commentary provides detailed examples of how different performers, from Henry Irving and Ellen Terry to Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, have brought life and death to Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers.