It’s always quite beautiful when a director trusts their vision to live and breathe, without being heavy-handed or overstating it: when storytelling can simply happen. In Folger Theatre’s Measure for Measure, audiences are immediately greeted with preshow music that suggests community, with praise songs like “This Little Light of Mine.” But the set frames the story in historical Southern racism. A stage-left sign above a bench says “Colored Waiting Room,” while two drinking fountains stage right read “Colored” and “White.” The cast makes it all come together, allowing vibrant life and dark reality to coexist. As a whole, Measure for Measure is a satisfying reflection on justice because of its cohesive atmosphere of severity, along with the right amount of levity.
Measure for Measure, Shakespeare’s “problem play,” gets a 1950s Jim Crow American South twist in this smart adaptation by Mekala Sridhar, directed by Psalmayene 24, with precision, fervor, and grounded strength. Here, Claudio (JaBen Early) is a Black man sentenced to death for getting Juliet (Maryanne Henderson), a white woman, pregnant, and his sister, the nun Isabella (Renea S. Brown), begs for justice. Seeking a reprieve for Claudio, Isabella visits Angelo (Lee Osorio), who is running the local government while the Duke (Nathan Darrow) is away. Angelo smarmily offers: if Isabella gives up her virginity to him, Claudio can live.
In such a take, the stakes shockingly rise. The result is that it feels almost like a Shakespearean Antigone — with a lot more sexual content. The focus is on honor, righteousness, and mercy in the face of hopelessness. Its feel is more solemn than Shakespeare’s original, yet still defiant. The production’s design elements, featuring lyrical movement pieces (choreography by Tony Thomas), pulsing mood lighting (Jesse Belsky), and vibes-based music (Kokayi) and sound (Matthew M. Nielsen), prompt us to reflect on past injustices.
Actors who can tap into extremes make this show memorable. Brown is a dynamic, powerful Isabella. She plays her as both a witty fighter who wants to do what’s right and a battered victim of circumstance. Early plays Claudio as a Black man resigned to the fact that he’s going to die. Osorio’s Angelo is genuinely slimy, calculated, and even dangerous. And Darrow endows the Duke’s undercover journey as a friar with surprise, especially in his playful asides in Act II.
The production’s supporting cast is made up of true comic actors who ham it up with slapstick humor and sexual innuendo. Jonathan Feuer, as Claudio’s friend Lucio, is a standout who’s hysterically flamboyant in his side comments: He can be nonchalant or flippant, and you’ll laugh all the same. The side characters liven it up without being too much, especially Ahmad Kamal as a silly but slick Pompey and John Sygar as a dopey Froth ( also as “The Boy” playing electric guitar). Other standouts are the other women in this tale of couples: Holly Twyford is a stern yet secretly empathic Escalus, Angelo’s secretary, and Renee Elizabeth Wilson is a sweet, free-spirited Mariana, who was once betrothed to Angelo.
What also never feels too much is the nicely unified design. Costume design by Mika Eubanks has the actors in darker hues and muted pastels that match the oppressive environment, yet can also be expressive, with a beautiful dress for Mariana. Debra Booth’s aforementioned set is single-level, creating a tight-feeling space that heightens unease and aligns with the overall tension (though actors sometimes dash freely throughout the house and balcony).
Measure for Measure might not be the first Shakespeare play you’d think of for a social justice treatment, and it’s produced less often than others. But grounding the play’s events in the reality of American racial struggles makes Shakespeare’s comedy even more poignant for a modern audience. This production is still a comedy, but it feels grounded in reality. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this beautifully consistent production.
Running Time: Two hours and 35 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.
Measure for Measure plays through November 1, 2026, at the Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street, SE. Tickets (starting at $20) are available online, by calling the Folger Box Office at (202) 544-7077, or at TodayTix.
The cast and creative team credits are here, and the program is online here.
Measure for Measure
By William Shakespeare
Director: Psalmayene 24
Choreographer: Tony Thomas
Composer: Kokayi
Adaptor: Mekala Sridhar
SEE ALSO:
Folger Theatre announces casting for ‘Measure for Measure’ (news story, August 24, 2026)
