“Romeo + Juliet” has announced open-caption seats, which are available at every performance of the Sam Gold-directed revival at the Circle in the Square Theatre. The supertitles are displayed from a permanent screen above the set, viewable from select seats for Deaf and hard-of-hearing theatergoers. The open captioning, which differs from closed captioning in that the supertitles cannot be turned off, has been in use since “Romeo + Juliet” began previews on Sept. 26.
This initiative offers a new approach to accessibility on the Main Stem. Many Broadway productions offer either open-captioned or American Sign Language-interpreted performances a handful of times during its entire run, often arranged through TDF. Theatergoers with hearing loss will now have the option to attend any performance.
The Shakespeare revival, starring Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler as the titular star-crossed lovers, will open on Oct. 24. The production, which announced an extension prior to starting previews, is slated to play a limited engagement through Feb. 16, 2025.
“Romeo + Juliet” is produced by Seaview.
