Party like its 44 BC

The Q Brothers are back in Chicago with another hip-hop Shakespeare, and their spin

on the Tragedy of Julius Caesar had me grinning ear to ear. It’s a rowdy, rhythmic,

theatrical treatment that shows deep appreciation of how bold and bad ass the Bard

could be in taking on hot topics of the day. It’s also an irresistible intro to Shakespeare

for young people.

The plot in a nutshell is this: of the candidates to rule the people of Rome – Julius

Caesar is the favorite – he’s a brutal warrior, with bravado and style and strong opinions

on what is right for the citizens. His friend Brutus is among the politicians who think his

rule would not be in the best interest of the people. And he is correct! Under Julius’

reign, the public must follow a no-carb diet. And any citizen who disagrees with Caesar

gets disappeared. Brutus is persuaded to join a plot to assassinate Caesar, which leads

to a cycle of revenge and more violence. But it’s a comedy, so even Caesar’s murder is

carried out with colossal humor.

The scenic design by Collette Pollard, is dominated by a monument to Caesar’s

impressive gluteus maximus – and three, gilded and tilted empty frames – suggesting

the various historical periods we can view the story through: Caesar’s, Shakespeare’s

and our own.

The entire “Rome Sweet Rome” cast is stellar. All play multiple roles, throw down

rhymes, and slide and pop to Tanji Harper’s explosive and cool choreography. In

addition to the Q Brothers Collective who are the heart and soul of the show – and

includes JQ (DJ and various roles), POS (Who plays Caesar) and JAX (in various roles)

plus GQ who co-created and directed but does not appear – a very special mention is

due Danielle Davis (in the role of left wing politico Casca), who absolutely brings the

house down with her incredible pipes and attitude in the number “I Need a Sandwich.”

It is a ton of fun to experience the show’s Chicago and pop-culture references, the witty

lyrics, sprinkled with repurposed historical quotes (“we have to stand for something or

we fall for anything,” and “it’s only terrorism if you fail”) and old school music, such as

Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Minnie Riperton’s “Lovin You” – look it up kids!

Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” is a much longer affair. Clocking in at just 90 minutes

with no intermission, “Rome Sweet Rome” feels like a nonstop party – but the big ethical

questions still manage to land.

A footnote on history and how it can repeat itself: When Shakespeare wrote this tragedy

in 1599 about the consequences of political assassination, the aging Queen Elizabeth

had no descendent to take the throne, which made the English uneasy about the

prospect of a civil war. Shakespeare purposely set his tragedy in ancient Rome because

portraying an assassination any other way would have been too risky for him. Recent

acts of political violence in 2025 have Americans feeling anxious, which makes it an

auspicious time to heed Shakespeare’s reminder that violence only leads to more

violence.

On a personal history note: When the Q Brothers made their Chicago debut in 2001

with “The Bomb-itty of Errors” at the Royal George Theatre, I got to watch these Beatles

of Shakespeare in action from up close. The summer prior, I was out postering in

Lincoln Square for a solo show I was doing and stopped at the Merz Apothecary with a

poster. Store manager Anthony Q told me his brothers were actors too, and that they

would soon be bringing to Chicago a show they’d developed at NYU. My day job at the

time was working as an arts publicist at Carol Fox & Associates, so I left Anthony my

business card. They called to hire us, and the rest is history. I’ll never forget the

boundless energy the Q Bros crew brought to getting the word out for “Bomb-itty.” They

(and I) went everywhere imaginable promoting the show – from media appearances to

the Uptown Poetry Slam. They drove their orange Bomb-itty mobile – with a Bomb

spraypainted on the side – to street corners, beaches, and barber shops to rap excerpts

from the show. Teenagers returned to the show multiple times, bringing bouquets of

flowers. They were a phenomenon. Or should I say, a “phenoma-bomb?” I’d better

leave the rhyming to the experts.

Although they’ve returned to Chicago several times, this was the first time I’ve caught a

Q Brothers show since “Bomb-itty.” It’s evident that 20 years of practicing their craft has

only deepened their talent for remixing Shakespeare. And as evidenced at the

performance I attended, they still draw crowds of cool, cosmopolitan people and young

audiences to the theater.

Thanks to the patronage of Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Chicago is lucky to host

these homegrown talents on a regular basis to share their hip hop theater shows with

new and old fans alike.

“Rome Sweet Rome,” an “add-rap-tation” of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” by Q

Brothers Collective runs Sept. 23 – Oct. 19, 2025 in the Courtyard Theater at Chicago

Shakespeare Theater. For more information visit chicagoshakes.com/romesweetrome .