by Cari Lynn Pace *

I took my English friend with me to Marin Shakespeare Company’s current production of Julius Caesar in the Forest Meadows Amphitheatre at Dominican University (now running through Sep. 13). My friend was as riveted as I was with the staging and characters and joked “This is bloody good.” Indeed—Julius Caesar is bloody fantastic.

Director Jon Tracy skillfully moves Shakespeare’s dark drama of political tensions, fear, and betrayal to a contemporary setting where assassins and their victims bleed alike.

An imaginary city of post-war Rome opens with an election decided and a confident Caesar (Johnny Moreno) languishing with his music. He is dismissive of lingering tensions from past conflicts, and the fractured society. Senate members profess support, military power is ever-present, and the public’s devotion is both fickle and dangerous. His allies secretly discuss what Caesar’s rule will do to the nation.

Shakespeare’s retelling of this piece of history includes rallies, riots, and military actions. These serve to expose human frailty, particularly the blind dedication of a generation raised without grasping the consequences of political choices. Familiar speeches unfold as the public is swayed by the Senators’ oratory. Can Caesar’s intentions be trusted?

Tracy has gathered an outstanding cast for this production, all of whom deliver stunning performances. Central to the story of Caesar’s betrayal are two Senators who secretly confer in response to shifting pressures and personal doubt. Cleverly gender-swapped as female politicians in this production are real-world sisters Bridgette and Charisse Loriaux, as Brutus and Cassius, respectively. Caesar’s second in command is the steadfast Mark Antony, played by the talented Brady Morales-Woolery.

The stunning staging of this production is another artistic triumph by award-winning Nina Ball. The first act’s plaza of protesters transforms in the second act to a derelict city torn by strife, gunshots, and rival gangs. Kudos to Sound Designer Ray Archie for the head-turning sounds of battle in this amphitheater open to the dark sky. OMG, how did those vehicles get onstage?

Director Tracy admits his interest in the story of Julius Caesar is the process by which a character’s violence becomes unthinkable. “Theatre allows us to witness formation before it hardens into history,” Tracy says, “and to see certainty constructed one choice at a time.” What may start as one’s perception hardens into conviction. This becomes a call to duty, to action. Will a character’s action harm or protect?

This wildly imaginative Julius Caesar is a shocking tale of leadership, obedience, belonging, and the stories nations recount about what they have done. It is a story of self-protection, loyalty, and survival. Shakespeare had it all figured out in the 1500’s. Not much has changed today.

Playing through September 13, 2026 in the Forest Meadows Amphitheatre at Dominican University, 890 Belle Ave., San Rafael.

Click HERE for more information and tickets.

Photos by Jay Yamada

Cari Lynn Pace is a long-time Bay Area theatre critic whose reviews were regularly featured in the Marinscope Community Newspapers and a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.