Everyone knows what became of Romeo and Juliet. They lived, they loved in secret and they died too young. All this because of hatred between the Montagues (Romeo's folks) and the Capulets (Juliet's peeps).

But why did these affluent families hate each other? Seattle-based playwright Sharyn Shipley dared to answer that question. And when she did, the bawdy, wildly romantic tale that came forth was fraught with scandal worthy of the Bard himself. The play is in its first-ever run at the Players' Ring in Portsmouth through Feb. 20.

We first meet young Adrianod Capulet (Jason Bolduc), hanging out with the guys, Lawrence (Rob James), Tiberio Montague (Joel Smith), and Calisto diSenna (Matt Cost). They'll pick up a sword to kill each other one minute, the next they're clapping each other on the backs. In other words, they're a typical pack of young bucks on the run.

Elsewhere, we find Bernadine (the versatile Dinah Schultze) dreading her wedding day, being consoled by her cousin Catherine (Rachel Sacks), taunted by her sister Rosalie (Tana Sirois) and prepared by her Nurse (Amanda Collis) (whose character goes onto to greater fame in "Romeo and Juliet").

At the wedding, young Rosalie finds herself drawn to the server, Adrianod Capulet. Later that week, Catherine, too, is drawn by Capulet's charms (this time, they're more maturely reciprocated). Trouble is, Catherine's twin brother Calisto has the wealthy Tiberio Montague, not the impoverished Capulet, in mind to marry his only sister, and Rosalie's love for Capulet isn't as childish as it seems on the surface.

The script is daring, and I wholeheartedly enjoyed the feeling of at long last being let in on the secret of the Shakespearean feud. The dialogue is rich, witty and fun, and the tale is the stuff of many a great love story.

Shipley's male characters seemed slightly flat and predictable, but the male performers round her words out. The female characters were much more internal and well rounded, and I truly enjoyed the performance right up until the end, when the plot twist, crucial to the story, just didn't sit well-it struck me as very convenient and not as believable as the rest of the script.

The versatile Dinah Schultze as the resentful young bride is engaging. Rachel Sacks personifies passion as the fiery Catherine. Amanda Collis' Nurse is highly comical, beautifully maternal and overprotective. Tana Sirois, in the finest performance I've seen her give, shows us a spoiled, silly child one moment and a distraught, post-partum mother the next; it's a masterful performance in a role that would challenge the most experienced of actresses.

Handsome Matt Cost, in his debut performance at the Ring, thrills as the rakish playboy of Verona; he was the talk of the intermission cookies and coffee. Joel Smith as Montague seems stiff and unsure of himself. Rob James, as the young Friar Lawrence, is a terrific find; I believed every blink of his eyes. Jason Bolduc, as young Capulet, is a little too old for the part-he stands apart from the rest of the cast considerably-and while very charming, he doesn't seem to land on a defined character.

Billy Butler is nothing if not a storyteller and a showman. As director, he does a fabulous job of getting the most of his performers and finding the many levels of this show. One aspect I particularly liked was his set piece-a large staircase in the middle of the stage. It's overwhelming and obtrusive at times, but at other times it works perfectly well.

A whole lot of pluses, with just a couple of negatives, add up to a remarkably enjoyable show.

"StarCrossed" runs through Feb. 20 at the Player's Ring, 105 Marcy St., Portsmouth, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for students and seniors. For reservations, call 603-436-8123.