The Joffrey Ballet’s “Romeo & Juliet”

In a riveting and passionate rendering of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” the dancers of The Joffrey Ballet displayed raw emotion and palpable tension, beautifully and artistically weaving romance and tragedy into this twentieth-century version.

Taking place in roughly three periods in Italian history — Mussolini’s 1930s, the rise of the Red Brigade in the 1950s and Berlusconi’s rule in the 1990s — the production layers in austere-looking videos with minimalist set pieces. By the second act, the black-and-white aesthetic gives way to a warmer color palette, lending the production a more familiar and sensuous feel.

Bonus: Look for real-life couple Dylan Gutierrez and Jeraldine Mendoza in the title roles 10/15, 10/20 and 10/22.

Until 10/23.

— Angela Gagnon / Tricia Parker