In a recent “New York Times” guest essay, Drew Lichtenberg writes that although “the American theater’s relationship to the Bard might be fraying” with “a long history of theaters running from Shakespeare during times of political division or uncertainty, we need Shakespeare, especially in moments of conflict and unrest.”

Currently running at Circle in the Square, Sam Gold’s production of “Romeo + Juliet” is not “running from Shakespeare during times of political division or uncertainty.” Instead, the director of Shakespeare’s “King Lear” at the Cort in 2019 starring Glenda Jackson as Lear embraces the challenges to stage the Bard’s tragedy in America’s current divisive political climate and the unrest and uncertainly prevalent in its voting populace. Furthermore, Sam Gold’s staging exposes what Lichtenberg describes as the use of “power at the expense of others” as a recurring theme in the tragedies, comedies, and histories of William Shakespeare.

There is no need to summarize the characters of “The Timeless Tale of Love and Tragedy,” their recognizable conflicts, and the tragic plot that it drives forward. To do so would be unnecessary for the audience members familiar with the play and a disservice to the amazing and welcomed number of youths filling the seats of the theater and searching for some recognition of their age of discontent that for many results in anxiety, long-term depression, violent behavior, and even suicide.

Sam Gold’s direction is multi-layered figuratively and literally. Gold dives deep into “Romeo + Juliet’s” exploration of gender fluidity and the ambiguities of desire. He explores the depth of teen angst which is timeless and the hope that youth yearn for in every generation. The youth in this production are the teens we experience in the present. They “take us on a wild wild and show us their wild child.” They “say yes to this, big mess a bliss, when it hits” (original music by Jack Antonoff). They tire of their feuds which mirror the longstanding feuds between their Montague and Capulet” dysfunctional families. They know they must carry knives to protect themselves in their urban landscape and they have found the apothecaries that offer a balm for their discontent and the violence that surrounds them.

Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler are the young, driven and “star-crossed lovers” in this “Romeo + Juliet.” The ongoing feud between their Verona families the Montagues and the Capulets has created two characters searching for meaning as their non-traditional love affair defines their uncertain futures. They are strong and stunning together, in their own space, and in their character’s living, their character’s dying, and their character’s life beyond death. Their performances could well be one template for future incarnations of the play.

The remaining members of the stunning cast are Gabby Beans (Mercutio/The Friar/Prince), Daniel Bravo Hernández (Abraham/Friar John), Jasai Chase-Owens (Gregory/Servingman), Tommy Dorfman (Tybalt/The Nurse), Nihar Duvvuri (Balthazar), Sola Fadiran (Capulet/Lady Capulet), Taheen Modak (Benvolio/Apothecary), and Gían Pérez (Samson/Paris/Peter) give authentic and believable performances which resonate with every member of the audience. Their gender fluidity, their vulnerability, their violence, and their transparency embody the same characteristics in the tragedy itself. Bravissimo to this generous and energetic ensemble cast.

Scenic Design by dots, costume design by Enver Chakartash, lighting design Isabella Byrd, sound design Cody Spencer, and hair and wig design by Robert Pickens and Katie Gell successfully complete Sam Gold’s brave and refreshing staging of “Romeo + Juliet.”

Sam Gold uses every layer, every space, and every nook-and cranny in the theater to stage this “Romeo + Juliet.” From the multi-level theatre-in-round stage, from platforms, from the aisles, and from the catwalks, the characters echo their fears, their love for one another, their deep and abiding angst, and their still unbridled hope for the future. Romeo’s song is the song of our disaffected and disconnected teens. He sings to Juliet, “Do you have doubts? / I cursed your name. / It brought me pain and now / Without you I don’t know how to be.” These lyrics by Jack Antonoff reflect both the despair and the hope of a generation of teens seeking agency and self-discovery unfettered by their forebears or their views of the word.

This is a “Romeo + Juliet” that transcends time and space and fixes William Shakespeare (to whom the cast gives a shout-out mid-performance) as the Bard for the Ages.