 Garrick 's altered version of the play was very popular , and ran for nearly a century . Not until 1845 did Shakespeare 's original return to the stage in the United States with the sisters Susan and Charlotte Cushman as Juliet and Romeo , respectively , and then in 1847 in Britain with Samuel Phelps at Sadler 's Wells Theatre . Cushman adhered to Shakespeare 's version , beginning a string of eighty @-@ four performances . Her portrayal of Romeo was considered genius by many . The Times wrote : " For a long time Romeo has been a convention . Miss Cushman 's Romeo is a creative , a living , breathing , animated , ardent human being . " Queen Victoria wrote in her journal that " no @-@ one would ever have imagined she was a woman " . Cushman 's success broke the Garrick tradition and paved the way for later performances to return to the original storyline . 
