Roman Intrigue in Your Face

One thing you’ll always be able to say about Walking Shadow Shakespeare: They positively reverberate the joy of the Bard. In their current show, a wildly economical mash-up of Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra that combines both plays into a tidy two-and-a-half-hour runtime, editor and director Steph Crugnola shares her pure love for these stories of political and romantic intrigue. She lets the audience experience the company’s passion, their desire to share something incredible with the most people possible. And that is precisely what Caesar + Antony + Cleopatra does perfectly. It takes stories that may be half-remembered from high school, or filtered through Richard Burton or Elizabeth Taylor, and makes them utterly captivating.

It proves that Shakespeare can be cool. That’s immediately obvious from the set, a thrilling theatre-in-the-round. Or, rather, in the triangle, as three different sets craft a world that’s part Mad Max, part luscious Roman gardens, and part war zone. As designed by Cody R. Arn (pulling double duty as scenic designer and onstage as Octavius Caesar), its blend of historical futurism is a better version of what Coppola shot for on film in Megalopolis. But the tension between styles fits perfectly on a stage. There’s something about the no man’s land of the set triangle, centered around a sandy battleground space for both the mind and the body, that feels cerebral, intense on an entirely different level. 

It proves that Shakespeare can be sexy. The cast practically vibrates with charisma. They carry these ancient characters with electric confidence. WSS did gender-blind casting, adding a fresh sizzle to interactions, making love triangles more complex. Never have I ever read Antony (Laura D’Eramo) and Caesar’s (Pablo Muñoz-Evers) relationship in such a queer light. Chemistry ripples between Antony and Cleopatra (a luxurious Rachel West); Antony and Caesar; Caesar and, well, everyone. Even the governmental malcontents spark with electricity, from the angry Cassius (Nick Ivons) to the coolly calculating Brutus (Stephanie Salama). 

It proves that Shakespeare can be full of fervor. That’s not much of a surprise to aficionados, as half of his plays are political statements walking a fine line among his Elizabethan and Jacobean royal patrons. But the eternal nature of the politics Shakespeare examines make these issues vibrantly present. He deals in questions of power, questions of love, questions of potential. These are touchstones that make his works endure because we can all care about them. WSS ups that ante with an immersive update for modern audiences. Seats line the three sides of the triangle, and characters freely interact with audiences – whether through rabble-rousing plebians (Achilles Patino Sesmas, Jess Buie, and Akansha Ranbhise) passing panicked notes, or through the Soothsayer (Andrew Springer) offering fortune telling. These delightful touches garner audience attention in a tangible way.

It proves that Shakespeare can be exhilarating. Massive credit to Andrew Solis’ fight coordination, because it makes emotions explosively present on stage. Battle scenes are tricky, as it’s easy to mentally separate from a play amid the hits and kicks of stage combat, but the way Solis creates action emphasizes the physicality of the actors. I felt Antony’s strength, Caesar’s intimidation, and that drive carried the audience through long scenes of battle and death during the second act.

There are two vitally important components at play when it comes to Shakespeare. Productions can keep the purity of the work alive, which is beautiful. I’m all in favor of historical preservation and respecting original presentations. But then there are shows bringing Shakespeare to life, and this is precisely what WSS does. Shakespearean theatre can be reverent, but it can also be a revelation. That’s what Caesar + Antony + Cleopatra is: revelatory. 

This article appears in November 21 • 2025.