REVIEW: Julius X (Folger Theatre)

I shouldn’t say this, but DC theatre continues to surprise me. Even though it shouldn’t be surprising that this region is a titan in the American theatre. It shouldn’t be news that this region continues to put on incredibly creative, well-acted pieces of art. And yet, every now and then, I still am taken off-guard when something that sounds like an uphill battle on paper ends up working in practice — especially when it works this well, as is evidenced in Folger’s excellent production of 2007’s Julius X. The cool-as-a-cucumber staging by director Nicole Brewer is sharp, poignant, and gripping, and anchored by stellar performances from several DC favorites.

Book

Al Letson adapts Shakespeare’s 1599 opus Julius Caesar, but only seldom does it feel like it’s not directly taken from the Bard. The classic tragedy, one of his most studied and performed, covers the final days and aftermath of the titular dictator as his friends and colleagues conspire to end his reign and restore the former glory of their land. Letson’s analog, placing Malcolm in place of Julius (though keeping the latter name), works so much better than it has any right to be, even if the stories aren’t the exact same. The supporting characters are all there: Marc Antony, Brutus, Calpurnia, Cassius, et al all maintain their deep characterizations that the dramatic world appreciates. The translation to 1960’s Harlem feels incredibly natural, too, even with the flowery nature of Shakespearean delivery. But it’s not all a garden. The weakest element of this adaptation comes via the attempts to remind the audience that we’re in Harlem via bops of modern AAVE — which is not inherently bad whatsoever. But it has been done more seamlessly in the past with different adaptations, and certainly not via the use of a rap battle that feels like a Hamilton SNL skit. In the case of Julius X, these phrasings tend to work against the grain, taking viewers out of the action more than folding them in. Luckily, these instances are few and far between. The resultant product is a slick play that makes sense for a contemporary audience and keeps you in the game its entire 2-hour runtime. 9/10

Acting

Julius X is a conglomeration of some of the finest performances this year. Brandon Carter commands his Julius with narrow swagger, providing an aura of coolness that envelops his equally talented peers such as Nikkole Salter’s Calpurnia and Jay Frisby’s Cassius. Jonathan Del Palmer portrays the reluctant hero of Marc Antony with a naive confidence turned bold charisma, and Greg Alvarez Reid is simply spellbinding as Brutus. His domination of the scene, with palpably culpable pathos and sheer emotive skill, is a must-see performance that is as heartbreaking as it is riveting. 10/10

Production

The defining feature of this production isn’t its sleek and shapely sets by Johnathan Robertson, nor is it Danielle Preston’s swaggered costumes: it’s Porsche McGovern’s dynamic lighting that really steals the show. Her use of shadows, their dancing along the blinds obscuring each window, the twinkling streetlights above the audience, and dramatic highlights in the floor, all combine at the right times to drive nothing but sheer drama into Brewers’s production. 10/10

Viz

The show greets you with a blueish, art-deco inspired stage, meant to evoke the geometries of Harlem. Keen viewers will also notice the streetlamps that jut out beyond the proscenium, involving the audience as part of the environment. The alignment of populist themes resonates even stronger with this choice, and is boosted by the cleverly futurist design choices in the crimson program art, which showcases Malcolm’s bust overlaid on the classic SPQR olive leaves. 10/10

Verdict

Folger’s Julius X takes the well-trodden fable of Shakespeare’s tragedy, and instead of flipping it on its head, injects bold new vision via stellar direction and can’t-miss performances. 39/40