Regarding the genre of R&J, the confusion is because the genre names have changed meaning over time. "Romance" back then is closer to what we would call "adventure" today. Comedy basically means the characters get married in the end, while tragedy means they lose everything and die. What often confuses readers today is that Shakespeare tragedies can be very funny.
Judging by the amount the kids actually learn, doing things the right way is an equal waste of time to just watching the plays on VHS.
> learn the structure of modern drama
IMO, far too few English teachers focus on this aspect of the Bard's plays. Instead, it's nonsense about iambic pentameter or treating R&J as romance instead of farce, black comedy, or tragedy that turns students into STEMlords.