ROMÉO & ROMÉO MERCH COLLECTION
Wear the Story. Support the Art.
Welcome to the official ROMÉO & ROMÉO merch collection. Every purchase fuels the journey from page to stage—supporting workshops, development, and the transformation of this groundbreaking play into a full musical.
This isn't just merch. It's a piece of theatre history in the making.
**WARNING: Some merch and descriptions contain adult themes and content.
"As heartbreaking as R&J, as contemporary as Grindr, as eternal as Shakespeare."
"In the lineage of RENT, Moulin Rouge!, Next to Normal and Shakespeare himself—ROMÉO & ROMÉO doesn't just update Shakespeare, it dares to argue with him."
"This is Next to Normal for our woke digital age—raw, tender, and unflinching."
The Story:
Two men. Two cities. One webcam connection that changes everything.
Owen, 61, an actor enroute to LA, gets trapped in Toronto by COVID and then caring for his dying mother. Jake, 35, runs a successful vocal performance group, but performs solo online to escape his Catholic guilt and Hollywood rejection. When they meet on VeronaChat.com, their connection transcends the screen; distance, meth, timing, and fear become the modern feuds keeping them apart.
Where Shakespeare made love eternal through death, ROMÉO & ROMÉO asks: Can restraint be more romantic than consummation? Can art outlast the artists? Can love remain unfinished and still be forever?
"Where RENT had HIV as backdrop, Roméo & Roméo has meth, not as subject matter, but as a hazy feud through which love/trust is found or is it...?"
"A love story that never consummates but somehow feels more intimate than any physical romance."
"The glow of a ring light has never burned this eternal."
Why Your Purchase Matters:
ROMÉO & ROMÉO is in active development, transitioning from play to full musical with original songs. Your purchase directly funds:
- Workshop productions and staged readings
- Musical composition, orchestration, and arrangement
- Script development and rewrites with dramaturg support
- Designer fees (set, lighting, costume, sound)
- Director and choreographer compensation
- Venue rentals and production costs
- Marketing materials for festival submissions
You're not just buying merch. You're producing theatre.
"With Roméo & Roméo, Hartley has written a love story for today that we didn't know we needed."
"Star-crossed, screen-lit, and unforgettable."
From the Writer:
"This play is my love letter to digital intimacy, to caregiving, to the men who show up consistently even when it's a challenge. It's about choosing to see and hear someone truly, not just their performance, but their heart. Every shirt you buy, every mug you sip from, every candle you burn helps us bring Owen and Jake's story to stages across North America and beyond. Thank you for being part of this journey."
- Kevin B. Hartley, Book & Lyrics
Join the Journey. Wear the Art. Support the Story.
Shop the collection below
