Folger Theatre’s Measure for Measure, reset in the 1950s Jim Crow South, is the sharpest Shakespeare on any DC stage this fall.
Psalmayene 24 Sets Measure for Measure in the 1950s Jim Crow South
Measure for Measure has long been labeled one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays,” a story that swerves between comedy, tragedy, and romance.
Director Psalmayene 24, who won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Direction for Folger’s Metamorphoses, solves that puzzle by moving Vienna to the segregated American South. The choice is brilliant.
Angelo’s cruel law, Claudio’s death sentence, and Isabella’s impossible bargain now carry the weight of an era when injustice ran far deeper than anything written on paper.
Status, power, and justice are viewed through an American lens, so the 400-year-old text carries the dramatic weight of the civil rights era and assists in its complex nuances.
Adaptor Mekala Sridhar and cultural consultant Modupe Labode, a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, ground every scene in real history. The Folger last staged this play in 2006, and this production makes the 20-year wait worth it.
Renea S. Brown Delivers an Award-Worthy Isabella at Folger Theatre
Renea S. Brown, already a three-time Helen Hayes Award winner, plays Isabella, the novice nun who refuses Angelo’s grotesque proposition.
Her performance is a revelation.
Brown holds moral clarity and raw fear in the same breath, and DC audiences should follow every production she joins next.
Lee Osorio makes Angelo chillingly smooth, while Jonathan Feuer turns Lucio into a scene-stealing cad in his Folger debut.
Nathan Darrow, known as Edward Meechum in Netflix’s House of Cards and as Mr. Freeze in FOX’s Gotham, plays the Duke with polished generosity.
He lends his star power generously, breaking that crown into pieces and sharing it with the entire company. Every actor earns a moment. Lines land crisp and clean, and the ensemble plays off one another in genuine harmony!
Staging Make This Shakespeare Play Easy to Follow
Debra Booth’s scenic design, Jesse Belsky’s lighting, KOKAYI’s music, and Tony Thomas’s choreography move the story with confidence. Many critics call this Shakespeare’s most confusing play. Yet I left with a deeper understanding of its purpose.
Folger Theatre’s Measure for Measure beautifully captures how life mixes humor, tragedy, and love, and how some resolutions need time to heal and grow.
Plan Your Visit to the Folger Shakespeare Library on Capitol Hill
Measure for Measure runs through November 1, 2026, at the Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003. Tickets start at $20, with prices varying by date and seat, and you can buy Measure for Measure tickets online or call the Folger Box Office at (202) 544-7077.
The show runs with one 15-minute intermission, and accessible performances are listed on the show page. Arrive early for a croissant at Quill & Crumb in the Great Hall, then return after October 16 for the To Hear Her Speak exhibition on Black women and Shakespeare.
The Washington Lobbyist exists to steer you toward the DC stages, tables, and experiences worth your evening, so follow along for more and grab your Folger seats before November 1!
FEATURED PHOTO: Nathan Darrow as The Duke, Renea S. Brown as Isabella, and Holly Twyford as Escalus in Folger Theatre’s production of William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, directed by Psalmayene 24, onstage at the Folger Shakespeare Library, September 22-November 1, 2026. Photography by Erika Nizborski.
