"Did my heart love till now?" asked Shakespeare's Romeo. Whether it did or didn't, now is the perfect time for love, according to the calendar. Cupid is poised to draw back his bow in just a few weeks, and Valentine's Day is in the spotlight as local theater companies roll out their latest productions.

As the national day of red roses, candy and heart-shaped jewelry approaches, St. Louis theater patrons can look forward to a trio of love stories: a modernized, African-America "Romeo and Juliet," the saga of a contemporary couple grappling with integrity issues and family drama and a cautionary tale about the blinding power of infatuation.

"Romeo and Juliet"

Where: St. Louis Black Repertory, 3610 Grandel Square

When: Now through February 14

Information: http://theblackrep.org/web/

Not your father's "Romeo and Juliet," the Black Rep's take on the famous star-crossed lovers got a jump on Valentine's Day when it opened Jan. 13. Set in the 1960s, the couple falls in love against a backdrop of the civil rights movement and black power. One of their warring families is aligned with the nonviolence of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the other is devoted to the relative extremism of Malcolm X.

Directed by native St. Louisan Chris Anthony, who returned from Los Angeles for the Black Rep's "R&J," the production focuses on the new Afrocentrism of the tumultuous decade and how it played out on the local scene.

"In St. Louis, people were wearing dashiki and getting in touch with 'soul'," Anthony (right) said. "And in 1968 there was James Brown saying, 'Say it out loud: I'm black and proud,' and there was that shift from Negro to black."

The transition occurs to a soundtrack that includes the Temptations' "Just My Imagination" and "Ball of Confusion." But no matter what the musical era, the timeless themes of "Romeo and Juliet" resonate with almost everyone, Anthony said.

"It's universal -- that excitement of first love, the excitement of falling in love. True love never changes," she said.

"Based on a Totally True Story"

Where: West End Players, 733 Union Boulevard

When: Feb. 12-21

Information: www.westendplayers.org

When Hollywood comes calling, main character Ethan, a comic book writer/playwright, finds he may have to sell his soul to be successful. According to his agent, his script is perfect, except for its numerous flaws.

Boyfriend Michael is his sounding board, but Ethan's inability to really open up hampers their relationship. When his father moves in, having left his mother for a younger woman, their separation rocks Ethan's already-unsteady world.

"The play is very true in terms of loving relationships. It examines love from all angles," said West End Players board member Sean Ruprect-Belt (right). "It just happens it's a gay couple -- but it could be anybody."

"The Shape of Things"

Where: St. Louis Actors' Studio, 358 N. Boyle 

When: Feb. 19-March 7

Information: http://www.stlas.org/

The darker side of love is the focus of "The Shape of Things." After dumpy college undergrad Adam becomes smitten with confident art grad student Evelyn, Adam begins to lose himself trying to twist himself into her ideal.

"Will you look what love has done," sing the actors in the opening scene. "Now love's limpin' on a lover's crutch." In that vein, Adam chucks his old friends, his eyeglasses and his nail-biting habit, and begins to disappear into a new wardrobe. It's all about the sacrifices we all make for love -- or sometimes just infatuation.

Amid the play's themes of seduction, manipulation and identity loss, are strands of humor. Nowadays, comedy -- and love -- sell tickets, Valentine's Day or not, said William Roth (right), founder and producing director of the Actors' Studio.

"People have enough in their lives these days," Roth said. "They don't want to come out of the theater and be depressed."

Photos provided by the theater companies.