Tommy Dorfman Brought Two Looks—and Two Roles!—to the Romeo + Juliet Opening

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo! Last night in New York City, the star-studded cast of Sam Gold’s Romeo + Juliet—which is on Broadway for just 20 weeks—celebrated opening night at Circle In The Square Theatre. Castmembers Kit Connor (Romeo), Rachel Zegler (Juliet), and Tommy Dorfman, who portrays both the Nurse and Tybalt in the new, modernized Broadway production of the play were all there. “I ve always loved Romeo and Juliet, and Shakespeare, especially as an actor,” says Dorfman. “The language and circumstances are heightened and offer limitless ways to investigate character and story. This interpretation is so fresh and propulsive—the creative team held nothing back.”

While Connor and Zegler were tasked with taking on the iconic leading roles, Dorfman had a challenge of her own: portraying two characters—meaning the star had to double-up on her work for the stage. “When Sam asked if I would consider playing both roles throughout the show, I knew that it would be both a challenge and a gift to stretch myself between them,” says Dorfman. “Tybalt is confrontational, a fighter, and focused on safeguarding his family in a more violent and masculine way; The Nurse is maternal, feminine, sexual, and a lover; she s more feminine and comedic.”

Getting ready for the premiere.

Photo: Clips Split

To prepare for the show, Dorfman says she treated the project like an athlete would—with a heavy dose of training and practice behind the scenes. “It s been the most stamina building and overall challenging artistic endeavor of my career,” says Dorfman. “So much changes in previews and in the rehearsal room to get ready for opening night, and I m grateful for all the work we have put into the show.” Among the sequences that required the most rehearsing? “I love my fight sequences; I love playing with Gían Perez during our scenes in the first half of the show,” says Dorfman. “The release for The Nurse and finding new ways to explore grief and protecting Juliet is always really fun and exciting to play with day to day.”

Of course, half the fun of being in a Shakespeare play is also the distinct wardrobe. With original costumes by Enver Chakartash and hair and makeup by Robert Pickens and Katie Gell, Dorfman says one of her favorite parts of hitting the Broadway stage has been the creative costuming process. “Enver is a genius—an incredibly creative and smart costume designer,” says Dorfman. The star adds that they worked tirelessly on finding the right looks for both of her characters, making them feel individualistic while mirroring the modern feel of the show. “We had this idea to create a custom leather jacket for Tybalt with [moon] iconography from The High Priestess on the back to draw in some spirituality from the nurse,” says Dorfman. “I love how powerful I feel in the [looks], how fresh they were, and how fluid from character to character and moment to moment they are in the play.”