Nearly everyone knows the fate of Shakespeare's tragic lovers in Romeo and Juliet. The prologue of the play lays out exactly what will befall the unfortunate pair by the end of the play. Numerous writers and directors over time have explored alternate endings for the story in adaptation. Instead of doing that, this proposed stage play based on Romeo and Juliet will begin at the ending...literally!

Inspired in part by the structure of the Broadway musical The Last Five Years, Old Desire, Young Affection contains two parallel tellings of the famous tale, which move in opposing directions towards a shared meeting point at the play's turning point, the duel which results in the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt.

The play will open with the classic ending of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, in which Romeo, and then Juliet, each commit suicide in the Capulet crypt. Scenes from Shakespeare will continue to play out as the play progresses, moving backwards in time.

Meanwhile, in a small modern-day town, two children from feuding families meet at a party, fall in love, and scramble to find control of their situations in the face of the danger and tragedy which begins unfolding around them. This second half of the play will have its own (modern English) script, and move forwards in time opposite the classic Shakespeare scenes.

Can they write themselves a new ending?