CARB-LOADERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!

“For the gods know I speak this in hunger for bread…†Alright, so that’s not from Julius Caesar but Coriolanus, that other Shakespeare play about a politician undone by his own ambition and hubris (and that coincidentally also features a character called Brutus), but in this “ad-rap-tation” of the Bard’s classic tale of political chicanery and treachery, it might as well be.

Bri Sudia, Postell Pringle (POS), and Cage Sebastian Pierre

The Q Brothers Collective’s Rome, Sweet Rome, developed in collaboration with Edward Hall and Ericka Ratcliff, is the newest iteration of Julius Caesar being presented at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. It’s a propulsive fusion of hip hop and theater, streamlining the play into an efficient 90 minutes.

The lower half of an enormous bronze-ish statue occupies the left of the stage, its shapely buttocks clearly designed to attract. On a stage, a curved bank of speakers separates the elevated stage from the floor, designed to mimic both a dance floor and a king’s court. With Caesar positioned center stage, behind the speakers in the only seat on view, Collette Pollard’s scenic design beautifully sets the mood for what’s to come before a single word has been spoken.

Postell Pringle (POS)

Then Caesar (Postell Pringle aka POS, very funny, but even funnier as Octavius) makes his appearance and we’re off. Sitting pretty and bored, Caesar indulges himself with increasingly outlandish demands from his cabinet and the populace. Mutterings of discontent start to spread and Cash (Jonathan Shaboo in a robust performance) begins to whisper in the ear of Brutus (Victor Musoni nicely underplaying) kicking off the conspiracy plot. Caesar finally goes too far when, following a rant targeted at overweight people, he bans all types of bread in Rome.

JQ, Danielle Davis, Maya Vinice Prentiss, Victor Musoni, and Jonathan Shaboo

A brief aside to note that in light of the US Secretary of Defense’s recent rant about the weight of members of the military, Rome, Sweet Rome has achieved a surprisingly specific timeliness. Oscar Wilde must be chuckling in his grave.

With the city aroar, the scheme starts to take shape and when Senator Casca (a scene-stealing Danielle Davis), driven to mania by bread-lust, joins the conspirators, the murder plot is set into motion.

Danielle Davis (center) with the company

Once the rhymes kick in and the rapping begins, the production proceeds at a breakneck speed, not pausing for even a breath with the exception of one hilarious, drawn out sequence. The production is surprisingly faithful to the plot of the play — I was expecting them to take more liberties — and the actors/rappers perform with tremendous energy and skill. A broad selection of hip hop from the 1980s and 1990s is sampled here: songs from Ginuwine, LL Cool J, and other standards are wittily repurposed for the show.

The company

The writers and directors (GQ, JQ, JAX, and POS) are a collective devoted to fusing hip-hop and classic theater; Rome Sweet Rome is their fourth Shakespeare adaptation — Othello (Othello: The Remix), Much Ado… (Funk It Up About Nothin’), Romeo and Juliet (I Heart Juliet), and A Comedy of Errors (The Bomb-itty of Errors) were the previous recipients of the add-rap-tation process — but the first that I’ve seen. They certainly know what they’re doing: the rhymes are witty, the music catchy, and the ensemble numbers are wonderfully choreographed (Tanji Harper) and performed. Of the excellent ensemble, the aforementioned Danielle Davis and Bri Sudia’s wonderfully brassy Purney (Calpurnia in the original) are the standouts.

The company

Four hundred years after his death, Shakespeare’s works continue to inspire and surprise us; the timelessness of his plots and the depth of his richly drawn characters providing artists with seemingly endless reserves to draw upon. The Q Brothers Collective’s Rome Sweet Rome is a largely successful and an extremely enjoyable interpretation.

As much as I enjoy these imaginative retellings, it does make me want to see a straightforward production of the Bard’s work again.

Janyce Caraballo (center) with the company

photos by Kyle Flubacker

Rome, Sweet Rome
Chicago Shakespeare
Courtyard Theater on Navy Pier
ends on October 19, 2025
for tickets, call 312.595.5600 or visit Chicago Shakes

for more shows, visit Theatre in Chicago