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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. Julius X: A Re-Envisioning of the Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare Also see Susan's review of Strategic Love Play
If that sounds pretentious and off-putting, it isn't. Director Nicole Brewer and 10 talented actors follow the path of Black leader Julius X (Brandon Carter) after he returns to Harlem from a pilgrimage to Mecca. The Shakespearean cadences are apparent in the gravity of the writing, even when Letson isn't directly borrowing his words. Jonathan Dahm Robertson's scenic design, depicting the façade of a Harlem brownstone, ingeniously does a lot with a little: the two-story unit set covers the doorways with vertical blinds, allowing for striking shadow effects as part of Porsche McGovern's lighting design, and fire escapes let the actors make naturalistic entrances and exits. The physical production helps to lay out the characters and their perspectives. Julius, in his embroidered floor-length robe or his simple suit and tie (character-defining costumes designed by Danielle Preston), has come home from his pilgrimage with a new vision–that race alone does not determine the virtue of an individual–so he wants his followers to expand their own beliefs about the people around them. Cassius (Jay Frisby), smart and sleek with wavy hair and physical grace, worries that Julius' changes would ruin the community's future and suggests that loyal supporter Brutus (Greg Alverez Reid), a large man in an elegant burgundy suit, join his violent plot to seize power. On the other side is Marc Anthony (Jonathan Del Palmer), determined to stand with his leader. The performances pop in their rhythms of hip-hop and street slang, mixed with sprinklings of iambic pentameter. Nikkole Salter brings the viewer into the heart of Julius' wife Calpurnia, his partner in life and mission and the mother of his children, and the joys and heartaches she has experienced, and the rest of the ensemble operates at the same high level. Folger Theatre intends this production to launch an ongoing dialogue with its audiences. Specifically, audience members are invited to contribute notes and small keepsakes to an informal community altar recognizing the importance of people who influenced their lives. Julius X: A Re-Envisioning of the Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare runs through October 26, 2025, at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Elizabethan Theatre, 201 E. Capitol St. SE, Washington DC. For tickets and information, please call 202-544-7077 or visit www.folger.edu/whats-on/events/theater/ By Al Letson Cast, in alphabetical order: |
