A bold experiment at the Folger melds ‘Julius Caesar’ with Malcolm X
The Folger Theatre’s Julius X: A Reinvisioning of the Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a bold experiment: Shakespeare’s classic is not adapted here but rather reimagined and transformed into a new work that uses the motifs, themes, and some of the language of Shakespeare’s play to create something completely new. Notably, the central character is not a modern-day Caesar counterpart, or a tyrant at all, but a fictionalized version of Malcolm X.
An ambiguous, thrilling adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel
Emily Burns’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the kind of play that makes me an active participant in the drama and sits with me after the curtain call, getting more and more interesting as I mull it over. Written and directed by Burns, this world premiere is on stage at the Shakespeare Theatre through June 29.
Making Shakespeare new again
There’s a fascinating new production of Twelfth Nighton stage at the Folger Theatre, running through June 22. It’s a lot of fun. It’s also a bit odd and messy, a surprising take on William Shakespeare’s classic comedy of twins separated by a shipwreck. Director Mei Ann Teo takes chances here with an overtly sexy, adult production that brings the inherent bawdiness of Shakespeare’s text to the surface.