This weekend, from August 15 to 17, the Trinity Theatre Company’s Mission Valley stage will host a unique adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic play “Julius Caesar,” presented by The Queens Men group.
In a bold and innovative reimagining, the play has been set within the competitive atmosphere of a high school girls’ soccer team known as ‘The Romans.’ This contemporary interpretation aims to integrate the classical tale of political ambition and betrayal into a relatable and engaging experience for the audience.
Co-directors and producers Charlotte B. Larson and Audrey Sweet have enlisted an all-female and non-binary cast, infusing the production with the raw energy of modern youth sports. True to The Queens Men’s mission—reshaping the theatrical canon through diverse perspectives and radical collaboration—this production of “Julius Caesar” invites the audience to consider both the narrative and its characters in a new light.
Larson and Sweet delve into the inspirations behind the soccer-themed setting of the play, emphasizing the relevance of its themes in today’s context.
Audrey Sweet commented on the timeless nature of the questions posed in “Julius Caesar.”
She shared, “I think the story and ideas explored in Julius Caesar feel very pertinent to today, with questions about personal ambition versus loyalty and when individuals have a responsibility to stand up to the abuse of power—but the original historical setting of Shakespeare’s play can make it feel very distant.
We wanted to bring Caesar to our audience in a way that would feel familiar, and make the characters people they would understand and relate to.
The play may be hundreds of years old, but the questions it asks are still relevant in our lives today.”
Charlotte B. Larson added her personal reflections on soccer and its significance.
She revealed, “The soccer team setting doesn’t necessarily have one clear influence.
My dad has always loved soccer.
He played in high school and watches the FIFA World Cup every four years, so he was really the one who introduced me to the sport.
I remember one time watching the World Cup with him and realizing, ‘Wow, these guys take this SO seriously.’
Winning was everything to these grown men to the point that they would fake serious injuries, which rang some familiar cesarean bells for me.”
The concept of a girls’ high school soccer team isn’t entirely new, with Larson citing influences like Sarah DeLappe’s “The Wolves” and Showtime’s “Yellowjackets,” which also explore themes of ambition and rivalry.
She reflected, “In an early draft of the concept, we discussed including aspects of the college athlete process; Caesar was supposed to be a D1 Stanford commit.
But we scrapped that idea when we realized that we were getting away from the true heart of Caesar, honor, the dangers of tyranny, and betrayal.”
While many adaptations of Shakespeare exist, both Sweet and Larson believe that their version highlights different characters and creates intriguing dynamics within the story.
Larson explained their choice to alter certain roles in the adaptation.
She stated, “I knew that we would want to zero in on the catty-ness of the play, which, quite frankly, is already extremely catty.
There were obviously pronouns that were changed, and certain words were altered to fit the American high school setting better.
But I think our most dramatic changes from Shakespeare’s original text were our decisions concerning the wives of Caesar and Brutus.”
They combined Calpurnia (Caesar’s wife) and Octavius (Caesar’s adopted son) into one character, a sister named Octavius.
Larson believes this change adds depth to Octavius’ revenge arc against the conspirators, shifting the focus from a broader honor for Rome to a personal quest for justice.
On the other hand, Portia’s character maintains her significance in Brutus’ arc, acting as a moral compass rather than being combined with another character.
“She’s become a vital part of the team throughout the show, which makes her fight with Brutus in Act 2, Scene 1 all the more messy,” Larson said.
The complex political themes of the original play may confuse contemporary audiences, prompting Larson and Sweet to recontextualize the material in a manner accessible to the public.
Larson remarked, “In an ideal world, all Americans would understand the ins and outs of a Roman Republic, given that our government is partially based on it, but realistically, that’s just not the case.
I think re-contextualizing Caesar with teenage girl politics can help break down the intricacies of the piece.
Hopefully, it will help people understand our own government a little more during a time when a modern tyrant is threatening our own Republic.
Ultimately, there aren’t so many differences between Rome in 44 BC and America in 2025.”
Sweet emphasized the impact of delivering Shakespeare’s lines through the voices of young women.
She observed, “There are many lines that you hear differently when spoken by a teenage girl than by a middle-aged man, little comments that become more personal, or funny, or call to mind different associations.
Our concept obviously changes Shakespeare’s story in many ways, but one of my favorite things our production does is give Portia’s character more agency.
In the original text, she is limited to being simply the loyal wife whose concerns are easily dismissed, and I think by making Brutus her equal we’ve opened up some interesting new dynamics in their relationship, even as they speak the same lines every Portia tells her Brutus.”
The all-female and non-binary ensemble further emphasizes the themes of power dynamics, loyalty, and betrayal at a time when these topics resonate deeply within society.
Sweet noted, “The idea of power and who deserves to hold it resonates very differently when staging this show with all female and non-binary actors.
The characters’ struggle for control and desperate wish to be powerful feels more personal.
It carries more weight when they are portrayed by people who, in our society, are not typically seen as powerful.
And because we’ve made all the characters so young, just starting to figure out who they are, the choice between loyalty and betrayal becomes even more momentous for them.
Brutus’s deliberations aren’t just a man trying to decide the right thing to do; they’re a girl trying to decide the kind of woman she will be.”
Larson added, “It certainly makes things very personal for quite a few of the characters.
Even just aging the characters down makes the conspirators’ quest to murder Caesar for ‘the good of Rome’ largely based on personal issues with Caesar.
Jealousy is always a prevalent theme in Julius Caesar, but it feels especially present with an all-female/non-binary cast.”
The mission of The Queen’s Men is to invite diverse voices into classical work, and this production of “Julius Caesar” provides exactly that opportunity.
Sweet expressed her enthusiasm for applying this mission to a Shakespearean play.
She remarked, “As a woman who is deeply passionate about classical work, it often feels like some of Shakespeare’s plays are off-limits, Caesar included.
Shakespeare did write strong female characters, but they tend to dominate the comedies, while his more serious pieces are typically centered around men.
Caesar has so many fascinatingly complex characters, so we were really excited to give people who wouldn’t traditionally be cast in these parts the chance to bring their creativity, passion, and unique perspectives to these classic roles.
Our actors have a wide range of experience with Shakespeare’s work, some having loved it for years and some for whom this is their first Shakespearean production, but they have all done an incredible job of embracing what makes this play so enduring while finding ways to make these characters decidedly their own.”
The collaboration between Larson and Sweet, who began working together years ago, has been instrumental in creating a thoughtful and challenging interpretation of the text.
Larson shared her rationale for partnering with Sweet on this project.
“I started thinking about this particular concept in Summer 2024, but the idea didn’t really take off until Winter 2024 when I asked Audrey to come on board.
I’m a very detail-oriented, emotion-focused director, so I knew I needed a partner who was text-focused and big-picture focused.
Audrey was the first person I thought of.
She’s sharp, intelligent, very down to earth, and isn’t afraid to challenge me, which is why I think we work so well together.
I would never want to work with someone who agreed with everything I said; you never learn anything that way.
We spend a lot of time simply discussing.
The exchange of ideas between the two of us is one of my favorite parts of our partnership.”
Sweet added, “Char and I have known each other for a long time and are very familiar with each other’s styles of working, which has made it easy to collaborate on this show.
We’re constantly bouncing ideas off each other and will quite literally finish one another’s sentences, but we also both have very distinct strengths that we’ve brought to this production.
I love diving into Shakespeare’s language and exploring all the nerdy little details.
Char is really good at unlocking the emotional heart of the story and bringing it into the modern day, so working together, we’re able to elevate this piece beyond what either one of us could create alone.”
For those interested in experiencing this fresh adaptation of “Julius Caesar,” The Queen’s Men will perform at the Trinity Theatre Company in the Mission Valley Mall from August 15 to 17.
For ticket and showtime details, please visit trinityttc.org/current-productions/.
This exciting interpretation promises to be a thought-provoking theatrical experience that engages with contemporary themes through the lens of Shakespeare’s timeless work.
image source from：broadwayworld
