Wherefore Art Thou, Romeo?

 is the 74th chapter of the manga and the first chapter of the Romeo and Juliet Arc.

While cleaning up the classroom one afternoon, the directors from the Furinkan High drama department approach Akane to star in one of their plays. Akane, assuming it's a macho role immediately turns it down. The directors tells her they wanted her for Juliet and she accepts without hesitation.

Convincing Akane
The Furinkan High School director and assistant of the school's drama club ask Akane to be the lead for their next play. Akane initially outright refuses to take part, but the pair continue to ask her. Eventually Akane's friends tell Akane that she should just try it at least, especially since she should be flattered they asked her. Akane then suddenly has an epiphany as to the solution of the problem.

At that moment, Akane heads towards Ranma (who's playing cards with Hiroshi and Daisuke) and throws some cold water over him to turn him into his cursed form. Ranma angrily asks Akane what she did that for, but before Ranma gets a reply, the director and his assistant recognise Ranma instantly and ask him if he's Ranma Saotome - the legendary king of cross-dressing! Ranma tells them that it isn't cross-dressing, causing a slightly surprised but sceptical reaction from Hiroshi and Daisuke.

Akane then tells the director and his assistant that Ranma does aerial flips; crushes rocks with his bare-hands and learns new tricks even quicker than.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Akane Tendo
 * The Director and his Assistant (debut)
 * Yuka and Sayuri
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Hiroshi and Daisuke
 * Ranma Saotome (female)
 * Tatewaki Kuno
 * Hikaru Gosunkugi
 * Happosai
 * Kasumi Tendo
 * Genma Saotome (panda)

Trivia

 * This is probably one of the best known story arcs of Ranma ½ amongst western fans.
 * When Gosunkugi, Kuno and Happosai appear for their audition they're dressed as the Queen from Snow White after she disguised herself as a witch, and the fisherman from the Japanese  legend, respectively.
 * In the translation of this chapter, when Ranma asks Genma about who Romeo is, Genma's sign says that Romeo's from Krypton (a fairly obvious Superman reference). In the original, Genma says that Romeo was born from a Peach, referring to the Japanese tale of.