Director

When civil unrest wracks Rome as the famine-ravaged underclass battle the ruling elite, a war hero steps into the spotlight to serve his nation—only to turn on it and seek its overthrow. Shakespeare’s rarely produced tragedy comes to visceral life in the intimacy of OSF’s Thomas Theatre, helmed by visionary director and OSF Associate Artistic Director Rosa Joshi in a powerful, movement-focused production featuring a cast of female and non-binary actors. Sean San José’s modern translation brings the story to the forefront, illuminating Shakespeare’s themes of ambition and delicate democracy that will particularly resonate during an election year.

EPSG:4326

Coriolanus

Portland Center Stage

Famine threatens Rome and hunger fuels the tensions between the country’s elite and the deprived masses. As civil unrest stirs political upheaval, the war hero Coriolanus is driven to defend and then destroy his own country. Shakespeare’s rare and unique tragedy will be fueled by a dynamic female and non-binary ensemble, and a muscular, movement-focused staging. This modern translation updates the Bard’s language while lifting the story’s core — and reminds us that democracy is fragile and always worth defending.

Music Hall Center

Famine threatens Rome, and hunger fuels the tensions between the country’s elite and the deprived masses. As civil unrest stirs political upheaval, the war hero Coriolanus is driven to defend and destroy his own country. Shakespeare’s rare and unique tragedy will be fueled by a dynamic female and non-binary ensemble and a muscular, movement-focused staging. This modern translation updates the Bard’s language while lifting the story’s core—and reminds us that democracy is fragile and always worth defending.

Unfolding in a treacherous world ruled by self-interest, warmongering, and a lack of moral leadership, this fascinating political thriller follows a scheming monarch battling threats from abroad and within. This visually captivating interpretation from director Rosa Joshi and upstart crow collective—a company reimagining the classics with diverse casts of women and non-binary actors—has been called “a knockout” (Seattle Weekly) that evokes “with surprising clarity the misuses of power that plague us in the present” (The Portland Observer). 

Rosa Joshi

Director

Events

Upcoming events

Jul 23 - Oct 13, 2024

Coriolanus · Play On Shakespeare

Past events

Jul 23 - Oct 13, 2024

Coriolanus · Play On Shakespeare

Apr 20 - May 19, 2024

Coriolanus · Portland Center Stage

About

Rosa Joshi hasn't added a bio