(L to R) Matty Griffiths as Rufio, Hannah Taylor as Cleopatra, Chris Stinson as Apollodorus, Craig Wallace as Caesar. Photo by DJ Corey Photography.
George Bernard Shaw’s “Caesar and Cleopatra” is seldom produced but that poses no challenge for Washington Stage Guild, DC’s premier producer of Shaw’s works. Director Bill Largess focuses this cut of the sprawling play on the relationship between Caesar and Cleopatra, winnowing over twenty named characters down to a cast of six. Shaw’s 1989 play has been adapted for television, cinema, and even a musical starring Caesars such as Laurence Olivier, Rex Harrison, and Christopher Plummer, and Cleopatras like Vivian Leigh, Peggy Ashcroft, and Helen Hayes.
…an engaging piece of intellectual theater…Washington Stage Guild’s goal to produce ‘smart theater for a smart town’ is ultimately satisfied in this production.
Shaw was not a fan of Shakespeare’s “Anthony and Cleopatra” that centralizes the romantic relationship between the title characters, nor of Shakespeare’s depiction of Caesar in “Julius Caesar.” Shaw therefore depicts Cleopatra as a 16-year-old who is mentored by an older and wiser Caesar, focusing on a political relationship instead of a romantic one. The two meet by accident and forge an unexpected connection in the midst of political strife. Cleopatra and her younger brother are fighting over the Egyptian throne when Caesar arrives and puts both Cleopatra and Ptolemy under arrest for a time. The plays development shows Caesar juggling staying alive while waiting for reinforcements and supervising an impulsive young queen.
Hannah Taylor shines as Cleopatra, committing wholeheartedly to the playwright’s frank, energetic, and petulant queen. Taylor contributes an enormous level of energy to the production, both vocally with her infectious giggles and physically with her childlike activity. As Act II unfolds, Taylor shows a breadth of ability as her character develops into an older Cleopatra who is more sure of herself, yet her childish manner continues to peep through. The one discordant note in Cleopatra’s arc is that she ends nearly at the same place as she began, swooning over Marc Anthony. I wish we could have seen the stronger and more regal Cleopatra that Shaw had seemed to be building to until the final scene.
If Cleopatra is the heart of the production, Craig Wallace’s Caesar is the soul. What makes this play work is the contrast between the two title characters. Taylor and Wallace have created the perfect dynamic between youth and age (a theme harped on continually by Cleopatra to great amusement), bubbling energy and calm control, cruelty, and clemency. Wallace’s Act II monologue, delivered after Cleopatra makes a fatal decision, is masterfully executed.
Laura Giannarelli’s Ftatateeta is a wonderfully stern companion to Taylor’s Cleopatra, clearly showing an emotional arc as Ftatateeta decreases in authority when Caesar helps Cleopatra discover her power as queen. Rufio (Matty Griffiths) plays the stalwart and devoted soldier with a down to earth manner that is highly effective for his character.
Apollodorus (Chris Stinson) brings a refreshing contrast to the severity of Caesar, Ftatateeta, and Rufio. The play begins to feel like the same thing after a while, but Stinson brings a wholly new kind of energy to reengage the audience in the story. Ryan Neely, the only actor to double roles, moves between the pompous Pothinus to a hilariously daft and devoted sentinel with ease and distinction. The low class soldier is another breath of fresh air to a heady political story, bringing physical comedy and a different perspective to the concerns of the show.
Scenic Designer Jonathan Dahm Robertson has created a masterful playing space for the actors that seamlessly transitions from temple to palace to boudoir to balcony. Costume designer Elizabeth Morton fashions a developing look for Cleopatra that mirrors her personal evolution with more and more opulent costumes, stronger makeup, and layers of jewelry for Act II. While the costumes are successful overall, a few pieces seemed to lack the same attention and do not read as well.
While some scenes feel repetitive by the time the play is done, there are enough highlights scattered throughout to make this an engaging piece of intellectual theater. The themes introduced are strong enough to carry the dialogue from start to finish, culminating in Caesar’s speech on the undergirding political reasons for showing clemency. While presumably this is meant to teach the young Cleopatra to act with restraint and careful thought, we are ultimately left unsure as to whether she has learned anything from Caesar other than confidence. Washington Stage Guild’s goal to produce “smart theater for a smart town” is ultimately satisfied in this production.
Running Time: Two hours with a 10-minute intermission.
“Caesar and Cleopatra” runs through May 3, 2026 at Washington Stage Guild, 900 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20001. For more information and to purchase tickets, please call the Box Office at 202-900-8788 or go online.
