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Sarah English plays Juliet while her Dal professor, Susan Stackhouse, plays the nurse in Neptune's production of Romeo and Juliet. (Liam Hennessey Photo)

Sarah English has grown up around Neptune Theatre. She was just six years old when she first started taking classes at the Neptune Theatre School, and then ended up teaching there. Then, while studying acting at Dalhousie, she worked as an usher at the venerable theatre, often seeing plays 20 times over.

And now, finally, she鈥檚 making her debut on the Neptune stage -- just as she imagined all those nights as she showed patrons to their seats.

She plays Juliet in Neptune鈥檚 production of Shakespeare鈥檚 Romeo and Juliet, nabbing the plum role just weeks after making the big move to Toronto.

鈥淣eptune鈥檚 been a home away from home for me and it鈥檚 so great to be back,鈥� says Ms. English, from Tantallon. She gives a shout-out to Miss Alford and Mr. Wholey, teachers at Sir John A. MacDonald High School, who introduced her to the joys of Shakespeare.

Sarah English as Juliet in the famed balcony scene. (Liam Hennessey Photo)

Getting the role sent her back to the play to rediscover the girl she thought she already knew -- 鈥測ou know,鈥� she says, 鈥渁 little whiny and bossy, a real girly-girl who hangs over balconies and fawns over boys.鈥� But Shakespeare鈥檚 heroine turned out to be someone else entirely, someone not unlike herself.

鈥淪he鈥檚 not those things at all. I see her as very brave. You can look at it as desperate, but I鈥檇 say she鈥檚 driven,鈥� says Ms. English, who at 25 years of age can pass for someone much younger. She plays opposite Derek Moran as Romeo.

鈥淚鈥檓 playing her as playful, a little bit cheeky and teasing ... I鈥檓 finding myself in her.鈥�

Working at Neptune re-unites the former 黑料吃瓜网student with one of her professors, Susan Stackhouse, who plays Juliet鈥檚 nurse. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of nurturing warmth between Juliet and her nurse and it didn鈥檛 take us much effort at all to get cuddly,鈥� she says with a laugh. 鈥淪he鈥檚 someone I look up to, for sure.鈥�