Jeremy Ohta Lee and Elizabeth Carter Photo courtesy of San Francisco Shakespeare Festival

As a history, it is a sequel to Julius Caesar with its strongest link being Mark Antony, who defeated the conspiratorial murderers of Julius Caesar. Now, Antony is the triumvir for Africa in the Second Triumvirate that rules the three parts of the Roman Empire. As a romantic tragedy, it follows in the footsteps of Romeo and Juliet in that both lovers in both plays commit suicide. In each case, one self-destruction occurs based on the false belief that the person's lover is dead (incidentally, spoilers don't count in Shakespeare plays).

But not only does Antony and Cleopatra stand on its own as a solid piece of stagecraft, it offers a rarity in the Shakespeare canon, a heroine that exercises agency and even commands an empire. Yet, Shakespearean misogyny or at least condescension toward females prevails, best articulated by Antony's General Enobarbus. Even in his admiration of Cleopatra, it is not for her accomplishments but her allure, and he otherwise dismisses women in various ways.

San Francisco Shakespeare Festival takes on this notable work and presents it at two outdoor venues in the South Bay / Peninsula as well as one in San Francisco itself. Shakespeare's works are produced so often that many companies can't resist tampering with the play's packaging. In this case, director Katja Rivera was obligated to trim the play to a run time of 90 minutes, which offers the advantages of attracting a more attention-span-challenged audience, avoids the need for an intermission, and more reliably allows completion before darkness at outdoor venues. The cost is that the narrative becomes bumpy and jumpy with frequent changes of venue and loss of continuity.

Another strategic decision was to place the action in pre-World War II fascist Italy (and Egypt), evidenced by the art deco scenery and most of the costumery. Benefits of questionable value are that the 20th century setting allows the use of modern music and dance to spice up the action a bit and humanize profound historical figures.

Despite the fact that revenue from audience contribution is totally voluntary, this is no shoestring operation. For openers, the cast is Actors' Equity and highly professional. And while no lighting is required, the mobile sound system is top notch, with actors' speech more effective than at most indoor theaters.

But heavy investment doesn't ensure satisfaction. The Cupertino audience was radically younger and more family constituted than would be seen at a traditional theatre, and the other production choice suited them better than me. The early part of the action was performed in half-zany style with overly expressive acting seeking laughs. In one sense, this was okay for the less familiar attendees, because the principals are otherwise unthreatened early on, but more serious playgoers would probably prefer a conventional realization. In any case, the play's necessary tone change doesn't work well when the serious conflict takes place, the War of Actium between Mark Antony and Octavius Caesar's forces, and the ultimate suicides of the titular characters.

Many other themes are explored, including betrayal, deception, and power, but the most distinctive are gender roles with Cleopatra's agency at its center, and the issue of duty versus love. Antony is one of the three most powerful men in the world. After the death of his first wife, he marries the sister of Octavius, the most powerful triumvir and the nephew of the slain Julius Caesar, which should seal Antony's position as unassailable. But he is madly in love with Cleopatra, spending all of his time in Alexandria with her and rendering himself vulnerable to attack.

The cast generally deals with the treatment of the material as well as can be expected. The star of the show, as it should be, is Jeremy Ohta Lee as Antony. Highly charismatic, he bursts around with his arms and hands so expressive that they alone tell a story without words. Elizabeth Carter is Cleopatra, and I can attest to her major acting cred in Bay Area theatre. Fully competent here, this part is not the best for her. The problem–Carter is naturally too charming and too nice, and it's hard to hide, although she does rage convincingly at a messenger delivering bad news. Perhaps more Gothic makeup or hairdo would help. She is totally attractive, as Cleopatra should be, but the queen should have an arrogance and a nose for intrigue that doesn't seem right on an All-American girl.

In any case, the play acts as a serious history refresher in a relaxed setting, and the price is right with little investment of time. Despite my personal concerns, other attendees having less background with the subject or different expectations may well, and hopefully will, find it a satisfying experience as SF Shakes is an asset to the greater Bay Area.

Antony and Cleopatra runs through September 13, 2026, at Memorial Park, Cupertino; Red Morton Park, Redwood City; and McLaren Park, San Francisco CA. For information on the free performances, please visit sfshakes.org.