Capulet vs. Montague: Gabby Beans and Tommy Dorfman on ROMEO + JULIET

It’s truly a tale as old as time. Romeo + Juliet is back on the boards, this time directed by Sam Gold and starring Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler. Now in previews at Circle in the Square, this radically new production puts the Bard the spotlight in a way we haven’t seen before. 

I recently sat down with Gabby Beans, who plays both Mercutio and The Friar, as well as Tommy Dorfman, who plays The Nurse and Tybalt to chat all things Shakespeare, returning to the stage, and their love of Rachel Zegler. 

Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length. 

Theatrely: So how has it been going over at R+J?

Dorfman: It's been really exciting. It's been a while since I've done a job where I haven't known anybody coming into it, so that's been really informative and fun just to build an ensemble with Gabby and Sola and Rachel. It's been great to see how others are inhabiting their characters. All of us are doubling for the most part so I was really anxious about coming into that space and it's been really relieving and inspiring to work with so many talented people across the board. And I think I'm learning so much from Sam and Sonya [Tayeh], it's been really cool to watch how they work together as well and lead us through this play that no one's ever heard of.

Beans: Yeah, I would echo everything that Tommy said. I think what's been most remarkable about this process thus far that I've observed is the way Sam seems to be cultivating the environment in the room is that everyone is sort of at liberty to chime in and offer ideas about the larger world of the piece at any time. And that's a really fun and exciting way of working. On the first day, Sam said that we were all directors in this piece. It's cool to be in a process where actors, designers, choreographer, all of us are able to chime in and help shape the larger world of the piece from the germinal stages. So it's exciting. And I have to say the group is really lovely and it's fun to be in the room.

Dorfman: Everybody's voice has been so integral to the process. And so many interesting things have transpired from people offering stuff up even when they're not in the scene necessarily.

Have either of you ever done Shakespeare before on stage?

Dorfman: Nope!

Beans: Funnily enough, my acting training was specifically a classical acting program. And, you know, life is weird because I graduated from drama school, started auditioning, and this is the first time in my career that I've actually gotten the chance to do Shakespeare or any sort of classical piece professionally. So. I'm having flashbacks to drama school.

Dorfman: Yeah, I've only done Shakespeare when I was in school. I haven't been afforded the opportunity to do it professionally.

What drew you to this production?

Dorfman: Just Rachel. Laughs.

Beans: And you would be right for that because she is a goddess.

Dorfman: I mean, she's truly incredible. We've been Internet friends for a while but it's so cool to watch people like Rachel step into roles like that.

Beans: Well, like I said, my training was classical acting. So I've been sitting here for the past redacted number of years twiddling my thumbs, waiting for someone to give me my shot at the Bard. I was asked to audition for Mercutio and the Friar, which was very exciting to me because I feel like both of these characters are asking me to explore elements of my own personality and understanding of the world that I haven't yet been able to explore on stage. It's cool to have a comedic role that also has a lot of depth.

Dorfman: I haven't really acted since before the pandemic. I've been focused more on writing and directing but at the top of this year, I talked to my agents and manager who I love and expressed my deep interest in getting back on stage as my first sort of acting job back.

A lot has changed in my body and spirit and art. I transitioned, among many other things, and I felt that the stage was the best place to explore that as an actor. I like getting to play both a man and a woman. I think it's really, really liberating for me as a trans feminine person to work creatively with that duality, and it feels really truthful to my lived experience.

When you heard that you would be doubling roles, what came to mind?

Dorfman: Yeah, I found it quite liberating, I think. To me, acting is play. That's always how I approach my work. It can feel very real at times, but at the end of the day, it's an opportunity to walk in somebody else's shoes and circumstances. I think with a play that's centuries old, there's probably more value in understanding and exploring, why now? And I think Sam really set the table for his vision and the importance of doing Romeo and Juliet in our world and our personal lives. I think there are reasons why this foundational text has stood the test of time and inspired so many adaptations.

Beans: As an actor, I'm always interested in mining what it means to be in the unknown. And given that this is an unconventional casting choice, there's a huge element of the unknown.

It's really exciting to play both of these parts because when you get to work on some of the best writing in the English language, selfishly, it just opens things up for you as a performer and as an artist. I know that when you get to say these words and you believe them for yourself, it just expands you. And that's just pretty sick.

What do you hope younger audience members take away from this production?

Beans: I think on a sort of huge macro level for me, you know, growing up until I went to drama school and even after a little bit, there was a sense that classical theater and Shakespeare and maybe even theater in general wasn't necessarily for me. And I think the main thing that I hope is someone who loves the theater and really loves making theater is that younger folks seeing this show will have a real experience and will come away with an appreciation for this language and an appreciation for this art form that may continue on into their lives. And then, more specifically, I think this show is both a cautionary tale and also a galvanizing force, because I think the show is really playing with opposition. You know, it's playing with love and death. It's playing with nihilism and idealism. And I feel like we live in such a polarized world that it can feel dizzying. We are a bunch of people putting on a show because we have something to say, and want to take care of each other while doing that.

Dorfman: This play has a lot to say about generational biases and and prejudice and how that can quite literally tear families apart. And I think that's just continues to be the world that we're living in. So exploring it now, in this context with this type of ensemble for a younger audience with a much younger cast than probably normally plays a lot of these roles feels like an offering to Gen Z. Audiences will get the chance to understand Shakespeare in a different light and have an opportunity to see it for the first time with actors probably very close to the age that they are. It's rare to get to see a Broadway show with people who are a similar age that might offer more relatability and perhaps a point of entry to Shakespeare that you might not get if you are seeing this at Lincoln Center.

I also think back to sort of the casting of this play, like Shakespeare is so trans coded. It's all drag. If I was a younger actor and I got to see a cast like this embodying this world and these characters and playing different identities and expressions of self in such a fluid and grounded way, it would make me feel like I could do that too, if I wanted to.

Anything else to add?

Beans: I just want to say that this production is hitters only. Everyone is amazing. All the actors are amazing. Sonya: genius. Sam Gold: genius. Stage management: genius. This is not an easy play to do. And yet I feel every day that I'm getting closer to everybody in the ensemble and our whole group, and that's such a good feeling. 

Dorfman: I have to echo that because I've never felt safer and more affirmed in any professional experience in my entire life. It's such a gift working with really compassionate, caring individuals who offer their vulnerability as well. Also shoutout to our stage management crew, they are the best!

Romeo + Juliet is now in previews on Broadway and officially opens on October 24, 2024. For tickets and more information, visit here. 

Theatrely’s 2024 Fall Preview is sponsored by The Broadway Cruise 3, setting sail to Cozumel, Mexico this March. To learn more, visit here.