The Story

The tale of two loves: the love of knowledge and the love of love.

Before the tragedy we think we know, Verona is a powder keg ready to blow. In Rosalind & Juliet, a bold, Black, Queer, and revolutionary prequel to Shakespeare's text, the streets are alive with an underground feminist revolt and a looming Moor-led uprising against systemic tyranny.

Romeo’s impulsive infatuation for Rosalind clashes sharply with her true focus: a radical collective will to dismantle patriarchal structures and gender inequality. Meanwhile, Juliet’s coming-of-age discoveries lead her to defy rigid family expectations, stepping into her own awakening through a secret, defiant romance with Rosalind. Amidst a simmering plague and cultural revolt, their journeys intertwine where love, survival, and societal constraints collide.

Playwright and composer Janelle Lawrence weaves a lyrical, rhythmically charged theatrical experience, scoring original compositions that center marginalized resistance.

Produced by Lemon Balm Productions (led by Janelle Lawrence) and Associate Produced by Brandon M. Weber, in collaboration with Sideshow Vintage Clothing and Meri Avratin, this production is a defiant celebration of what it costs to live fully and fight for liberation.

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