Let slip the dogs of media

CSF’s Julius Caesar to be set in hyper-political, media-driven modern world

The Colorado Shakespeare Festival last produced Julius Caesar in 2017, against a classical, traditional backdrop of ancient Rome. This summer’s production will leap centuries to set Shakespeare’s famous tale of political intrigue, betrayal and assassination in the hyper-political, media-driven landscape very similar to Washington, D.C., circa today.

“The time feels very right to tackle this story again, from a decidedly modern-day perspective,” says director Shelly Gaza, who was a cast member in CSF’s 2017 production. “Here, the machinations of power will unfold under the glaring lights of a 24-hour news cycle, the ever-present eyes of cell-phone cameras, and the ceaseless spinning of the political narrative.”

One of Shakespeare’s best-known tragedies, Julius Caesar portrays the conspiracy that leads to the assassination of the eponymous dictator who erased centuries of democracy, and the subsequent chaos that presages civil war.

This summer’s production will open on a day of celebration in a modern nation’s capital after the “re-election” of Caesar as president, who basks in glory flanked by First Lady Calpurnia and Vice President Mark Antony.

“We’ll see the characters wearing sharp, tailored power suits, the kind we associate with senators, lobbyists and officials we see daily on cable news,” Gaza says. “These suits should evoke status, control, and the structured rigidity of public life in high office.”

Women, playing as women, will fill the roles of Marcus Brutus — of “Et tu, Brute?” fame — and Mark Antony, while Caesar and Cassius will be played by and portrayed as men who “embody the traditional archetypes of power and ambition,” Gaza says.

"Our production also examines the gendered dynamics that continue to shape political leadership. By intentionally casting Marcus Brutus and Mark Antony as women, we invite the audience to consider how systems of power persist even as representation evolves,” she says.

The production will lean into the perpetual noise, chatter and gamesmanship of contemporary media and social media, even replacing the seeress who famously warns Caesar to, “Beware the Ides of March,” with a Gen Z digital journalist.

“The political skirmishes will be played out in real-time across cable-news channels, social-media platforms and dark-web chat rooms,” Gaza says. “Some of Shakespeare’s original text will be adapted into text messages, emails and digital interactions, projected onto large screens.”

Tickets for CSF’s 2026 production of Julius Caesar are on sale now at coloradoshakes.org.