This production of Romeo and Juliet sets Shakespeare's play in a border town of Verona, where the feud between the Montague and Capulet families is framed through ideological division and escalating street violence. The staging unfolds bilingually, with the play performed largely in English while Romeo and Juliet speak to one another exclusively in Spanish, a dramaturgical choice that draws on the border setting to deepen the lovers' separateness from the world around them. Spanish translations are by Alfredo Michel Modenessi, with choreography by Mayte Natalio.

The production is directed by Saheem Ali, Associate Artistic Director and Resident Director of The Public Theater, and marks the first time Romeo and Juliet has been staged in Central Park in nearly twenty years. Presented as part of The Public's annual Free Shakespeare in the Park programme, the production continues the series' tradition of large-scale outdoor Shakespeare accessible to all audiences.