 American actors began to rival their British counterparts . Edwin Booth ( brother to John Wilkes Booth ) and Mary McVicker ( soon to be Edwin 's wife ) opened as Romeo and Juliet at the sumptuous Booth 's Theatre ( with its European @-@ style stage machinery , and an air conditioning system unique in New York ) on 3 February 1869 . Some reports said it was one of the most elaborate productions of Romeo and Juliet ever seen in America ; it was certainly the most popular , running for over six weeks and earning over $ 60 @,@ 000 ( equal to about $ 1 @,@ 067 @,@ 000 today ) . The programme noted that : " The tragedy will be produced in strict accordance with historical propriety , in every respect , following closely the text of Shakespeare . " 
