First half-hour episode that isn’t holiday themed.
The episode was first released in a VHS called "The Best of Nicktoons 1998" which was exclusively release for the employees at Nickelodeon animation Studio before it aired on TV.
Mr. Leichliter mentions that Mr. Simmons directed a 3rd grade version of Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill.
It's revealed that Mr. Simmons taught 3rd grade the previous year.
Helga takes constipation medicine. (Although it's possible this is just one of those Miriam-is-drunk jokes.)
Gerald appears but has no dialogue in this episode.
While in the restroom, Helga says 'the play's the thing', a quotation from Shakespeare's play Hamlet Act 2 Scene 2.
Given that Helga is said to be 'astute' in "Helga on the Couch", it could be that not only is/are the craig/the writers referencing hamlet but also Helga herself is referencing hamlet.
This episode had a special ending credits theme composed by Jim Lang.
At the end of the credits, this episode has a special thanks dedicated to William Shakespeare.
Jessica Sodd (the voice of Marcy, the girl who read the play's prologue) got the part by winning a "Kraft Cheese & Crackers" contest, the grand prize of which was a trip to Los Angeles and a part on the show.
Arnold almost had the chance to potentially kiss Rhonda, Sheena, Phoebe or Lila on the lips had one of them actually made it into the final play.
Helga confessed her love for Arnold to Lila to get the part of Juliet, while she went through the trouble of scaring Phoebe into dropping out. This indicates that Helga hadn't told Phoebe her secret at this point in the series.
This was the first time Helga has kissed Arnold. Helga kisses Arnold in "Summer Love" (while performing a mouth-to-mouth scene), and later in Hey Arnold! The Movie and Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie, where in the last one, Arnold kisses Helga back.
Rhonda knows Romeo and Juliet by heart having recited her lines without a script.
This is the first time that Helga makes a dress. The second time she makes a dress is in "Helga's Masquerade", when she makes a dress that looks like Lila’s dress to wear to Rhonda’s costume party.
The stall Helga uses in the restroom actually has a heart with an arrow above the toilet, most likely drawn by her.
When Helga is talking to Sheena in the dressing room about the violent parts of the play, Sheena tells Helga that she’s against violence, but in "24 Hours to Live", she chants with the other kids for Arnold and Harold to fight.
The stall Helga uses is the second one from the first. In "Rhonda Goes Broke", Nadine used the same stall.
