Politics, Pride, and Power: CORIOLANUS Commands the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival
Given the current state of American politics, Shakespeare’s CORIOLANUS—a cautionary tale about hubristic leadership and the fragility of democracy—feels startlingly contemporary. Addressing themes of political extremism and the blurred line between honor and treason, the play centers on Coriolanus, an egotistical leader whose primary political platform is little more than a catalog of personal grievances. Blundering from one crisis to the next, he leaves a trail of betrayal and destruction in his wake.
The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s production is billed as “Extreme Shakespeare,” a process in which actors arrive at the first rehearsal with their lines fully memorized and, without a director, collaboratively rehearse the play before opening just days later.
The result is electrifying. Rather than relying on a heavy-handed directorial concept to manufacture relevance, this PSF production trusts Shakespeare’s text to speak for itself. The actors dig deeply into the language and fearlessly inhabit the story, transforming the intimate black box theater into a space of remarkable immediacy and focused emotional power. The performance feels timeless, as though the play has simply been allowed to reveal itself.
The fully committed ensemble is led by Geoffrey Kent, whose commanding performance as Coriolanus—a celebrated military hero whose towering pride and unchecked ambition ultimately lead to his downfall—anchors the production. Kent also serves as the fight choreographer. Susan Riley Stevens delivers a striking performance as Coriolanus’s mother, Volumnia, embodying a formidable blend of warrior matriarch and calculating political strategist. David Pica’s Aufidius is equally compelling, charting the character’s ruthless evolution from bitter rival to uneasy ally before his inevitable descent into betrayal. The ensemble also includes Katrina Clark, Akeem Davis, Sarah Gilko, John Hedges, Elliot Jones, Mark Thomas McKenna, Michael Covel, Ian Higgins, Mariana Marcel, Joanna Marie, Isabella Marin, Christian Tuffy, Sophia Twohig, Alice Zelenko, and Greg Wood who also adapted the script.
As the festival enters its final weeks, it is gratifying to see this production of a lesser-produced Shakespeare play emerge as one of its defining achievements. This caliber of work—created by a company of professional, imaginative artists liberated from the usual constraints of direction and elaborate design—seems to embody the very spirit of the festival’s mission, revealing Shakespeare’s work as urgent and deeply resonant. It is not only a compelling theatrical experience but a powerful reminder of Shakespeare’s enduring ability to illuminate – through his words – the political and moral crises of any age.
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival
CORIOLANUS
By William Shakespeare
July 22 to August 2, 2026
Schubert Theatre
2755 Station Avenue
Center Valley, PA 18034
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Review submitted by:
Franklin Joseph
Author’s Bio:
Franklin Joseph is an avid theatre goer who takes delight in the active theatre arts community of the southeast Pennsylvania region.
