Romeo and Juliet continues to be one of Shakespeare's most-studied plays, especially for students being introduced to his work for the first time. While other plays have gained more popularity in recent years, theater companies continue to perform Romeo and Juliet as a staple of the Bard's repertoire. The play also lends itself to many modern interpretations and adaptations, which have been plentiful over the last century.
There have been more than 50 direct adaptations of the play since 1908, with many choosing to adapt the play for film or to cinematize a live performance for the silver screen. Perhaps the most famous film version of Romeo and Juliet is Baz Luhrmann's 1996 drama of the same name. The film modernizes the story in terms of setting and time period – it takes place in modern day "Verona Beach" California – but retains the original script. This version stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo and Claire Danes as Juliet.
Other adaptations of the play are not so obvious, including the 1961 broadway musical West Side Story, in which a member of a New York City gang falls in love with the sister of a rival gang leader. In 1998, the film Shakespeare in Love won the Academy Award for best picture. This film tells the (fictitious) tale behind Shakespeare's composition of Romeo and Juliet, and is in part a biography of Shakespeare himself.
Romeo and Juliet continues to be a popular source for modern film and television adaptation, likely because of its relatable themes about love, pride, and intergenerational conflict.
