Georgia Ensemble Theatre Finds Romance With ‘Romeo And Juliet’

Georgia Ensemble Theatre is tackling its very first William Shakespeare play. The 23-year-old theater company has mounted a production of “Romeo and Juliet,” promising a bold and accessible take on the story of doomed lovers from rival families.

Lead actors Jennifer Alice Acker and Jonathan Horne joined Lois Reitzes to talk about how they and director David Crowe are working to make Shakespeare’s poetry clear for modern ears.

To achieve this, the production is focusing on storytelling as opposed to language.

“In our culture,” Acker says, “we tend to really keep the poetry very precious. And that’s not how a person speaks. So the way we’re approaching the text, I think, makes it really special and unique to Atlanta.”

The Georgia Ensemble Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet is onstage now at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center through Nov. 22.