Shakespeare Re-Imagined: Julius X
Folger Theatre Reimagines Shakespeare with Julius X
This fall, the Folger Theatre opens its 2025–26 season with a bold experiment in reimagining Shakespeare. Julius X: A Re-envisioning of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, written by Peabody Award–winning playwright and journalist Al Letson and directed by DC-based theater artist Nicole Brewer, will run September 23 through October 26, 2025, at the Folger Shakespeare Library’s Elizabethan-style Theatre on Capitol Hill.
At once Shakespearean and unmistakably American, Julius X reworks the political intrigue of Julius Caesar through the lens of the Civil Rights era. In Letson’s retelling, the last days of Malcolm X echo the rise and fall of Caesar, exploring the intersections of ambition, betrayal, and revolution across centuries.
“‘This is not the story you know, but somewhere in-between’ is how Julius X begins,” said Karen Ann Daniels, the Folger’s Artistic Director and Director of Artistic Programs. “Just like Shakespeare adapted from Plutarch, Letson creates a dramatized mythology of Malcolm and Caesar to help us explore the struggle for power, friendship, and free will in our own age.”
A Fusion of Histories
Letson, known for hosting the Reveal podcast and writing for DC Comics (Mr. Terrific: Year One), was inspired years ago when he was told he would never be cast as Mark Antony because colorblind casting was not practiced. “So I thought, screw it, I’ll write my own,” he recalled.
For him, the parallels between Caesar’s Rome and Malcolm X’s America were unavoidable. “I remember reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X in seventh grade and it stayed with me. Later, when I fell in love with Shakespeare, especially Antony’s speech, I realized these two worlds overlapped in powerful ways. Malcolm was a man deeply committed to the fight for Civil Rights, and what’s beautiful about his life is watching him learn and change over time.”
The result is a script that mixes Shakespeare’s verse with Malcolm X’s speeches and Letson’s own lyrical writing. Brewer’s direction layers in soundscapes created live by the cast, giving the play a heightened musicality. “In many ways, you already know the story,” Brewer explained. “But you’re compelled to watch it unfold again, because of how Letson remixes history and Shakespeare. Ultimately, Julius X is a love story—the brotherly love between Black men for their faith, their community, and each other, even as they confront forces determined to destroy that love.”
The Cast and Creative Team
Brandon Carter, a Shakespearean actor well known to DC audiences, takes on the title role of Julius X. Joining him are Jonathan Del Palmer as Marc Anthony, Jay Frisby as Cassius, Greg Alverez Reid as Brutus, and OBIE Award–winner Nikkole Salter as Calpurnia. Lilli Hokama, Gaelyn D. Smith, Shawn Sebastian Naar, Dwayne Alistair Thomas, and Renee Elizabeth Wilson round out a cast of seasoned and emerging talent.
The production team brings together some of DC’s most innovative theater makers. Scenic designer Jonathan Dahm Robertson, who staged last season’s Metro-inspired Romeo and Juliet, returns with another bold vision. Costumes are by Danielle Preston, choreography by Shawn Short, lighting by Porsche McGovern, sound by Thom J. Woodward, and projections by Andrés Poch. John “Ray” Proctor serves as dramaturg and voice coach, adding historical and textual grounding to Letson’s ambitious mash-up.
A Play for Our Time
Though rooted in history, Julius X is as much about the present as it is about Shakespeare or Malcolm. By reframing the assassination of Caesar through the fate of Malcolm X, the play confronts questions of loyalty, leadership, and the price of truth in public life.
Accessible performances and community programming will accompany the production. Tickets start at $20 and are available at folger.edu/juliusx or by calling (202) 544-7077.
Opening night is scheduled for Sunday, September 28, at 7:30 p.m.
With Julius X, Folger Theatre positions itself not only as a steward of Shakespeare’s legacy but as a daring interpreter of his plays for a 21st-century audience—one where Harlem and Rome, Caesar and Malcolm, stand on the same stage.
