Ricardo Garcia and Vanessa Becerra star in Boston Lyric Opera’s Romeo and Juliet. PHOTO: OLIVIA MOON

One of the most famous romances and tragedies in the Western canon, “Romeo and Juliet” takes the stage on Boston Common August 11-13. The free public performances produced by Boston Lyric Opera in partnership with the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) and the City of Boston aim to bring the city together under the stars to celebrate dramatic art.

“This bold rendition of the classic tale of star-crossed lovers, told under starry New England skies, celebrates this opera’s rich heritage in a modern context,” says Bradley V. ernatter, acting managing and artistic director of BLO at Stanford Calderwood.

Accessibility and emotion are the key words of this production. This rendition is based on Charles Gounod’s classic 1867 drama set to music with a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, but is sung in English translation with surtitles to make the content more accessible. Ricardo Garcia makes his BLO debut as Romeo, and Boston Conservatory Berklee alumnus Vanessa Becerra stars as Juliet.

“The democratization of art is at the heart of our mission”, says Steven Maler, director of the CSC. “Early operas, like Shakespeare’s work, were populist in their day…vital and dynamic parts of culture. I am happy that we can do artistic collaborations with partners like BLO, which continues to democratize the art form and make it more accessible.

This adaptation compresses some of the characters and scenes from the original performance for a show that moves quickly and thrillingly without an overwhelming number of performers to keep up with. Two actors were also added to perform text from Shakespeare’s original play and a few of his sonnets to provide context and texture to the otherwise lyrical performance.

A tale as old as time, “Romeo and Juliet” follows two star-crossed lovers who meet at a party unaware that they are members of warring families. As conflict rages between their loved ones, the two young protagonists try to find a way to be together through thick and thin. The show lasts two hours on Boston Common, and chairs, blankets and picnics are all welcome. The performance is free and open to the public; visitors can rent chairs for $10 if desired.

“Together with our friends at CSC, we’re creating something completely unique for our city, something no company could do alone,” Vernatter says. “These performances demonstrate the creative power of the performing arts in Boston and the importance of coming together as a community.”