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Coriolanus

Coriolanus, Roman General and newly appointed Consul, must decide which is most important to him: Honor, or pride?

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At a Glance

War • Family • Classical Setting • Tyranny • Politics

As famine threatens Rome, tensions rise between the common populace and the country’s elite. After valiantly defeating an invading army, General Meneius Agrippa earns his title of Coriolanus. But Coriolanus’ refusal to stand with the Roman populace only fuels rising tensions between the people and the elite of Rome.

Following a public argument between the General and his people, Coriolanus is expelled from his home—and he rushes to meet with the enemy. Coriolanus must decide which is more important to him: Honor, or pride?

Sean San José enthusiastically gravitated toward this play for translation. “Coriolanus is [a] tough task,” he says, “in theme, length, and language. But it also reads and rings true to me. It is messy, about morality and morals, people and politics.” In his introduction to the publication, José asks, “How do we break open some of the words, the lines, the logic, so it is not a battle to hear the meaning? How do we make it more accessible in many ways? I loved that idea. Had Shakespeare been accessible to me, maybe I would not feel as far from it on the surface.”

Artists

Productions, Readings & Workshops

Coriolanus

July 23 – October 13, 2024 | Presented by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Portland Center Stage, In association with upstart crow collective and Play On Shakespeare | Production | Ashland, OR, USA

Coriolanus

April 20 – May 19, 2024 | Oregon Shakespeare Festival, in partnership with Portland Center Stage and upstart crow collective | Production | Portland, OR, USA

Coriolanus

March 29-April 23, 2023 | Actors’ Shakespeare Project | Production | Boston, MA, USA

Coriolanus Workshop

September 2022 | Portland Center Stage | Workshop

Coriolanus

February 17-19, 2022 | UNCSA | Production | Winston-Salem, NC, USA

Coriolanus Workshop

2021 | University of San Diego & Old Globe Conservatory | Education Workshop
Coriolanus Podcast cover image. A pure white silhouette of a figure contrasted against bloody stairs and spear tips threaten the figure from the bottom of the image.

Play On Podcasts

Coriolanus

Translation by Sean San José
Directed by Kate Wisniewski

Dive into ancient Rome where General Caius Martius (soon-to-be-named Coriolanus) calls for an end to democracy in the midst of a tumultuous relationship between the people of Rome and the aristocracy. Brimming with political unrest, war, and questionable leadership, Coriolanus asks us to consider in what ways has history repeated itself to this day? Featuring an all-women and non-binary cast, get ready to experience Coriolanus like you never have before.

Paperback & eBooks

Coriolanus

By William Shakespeare
Translation by Sean San José

A powerfully topical new translation of Shakespeare’s study of military power and political folly.

Bay Area director, actor, and producer Sean San José takes on the themes of power and politics in his version of Coriolanus, Shakespeare’s exploration of militaristic might and political folly. San José’s take on this little-known classic reimagines the text to be spoken by and for a community of “others.” The translation, which brings Shakespeare’s language into our era, rendering its thematic and dramatic power broadly accessible, is powered by a reexamination of populism in our current political moment.

Production History

Jan 9, 2018

Translation Workshop

Work session with full cast in NYC.

June 26, 2019

Play On! Festival NYC

Rehearsal and Staged Reading directed by Jeff Whitty with full cast as part of the Play On! Translation Festival in NYC.

Produced by:
Play On! / Classic Stage / Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Apr 24, 2020

FIRST READS: An Online Educational Series

A livestreamed exploration of Coriolanus featuring actors from across the country under the direction of Raphael Massie.

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