Fire and Air (Kentucky Shakespeare Festival)
- stagedoorlouisville
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Antony and Cleopatra
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Amy Attaway
Review by Lan Nguyen-Colgate
Entire contents are copyright © 2026 Lan Nguyen-Colgate. All rights reserved.
This season, Kentucky Shakespeare brings to the stage, Antony and Cleopatra, a play
last performed by the company 55 years ago! Amy Attaway directs this ambitious
production marking her thirteenth summer directing shows in the park and tenth year as
Kentucky Shakespeare’s Associate Artistic Director. Antony and Cleopatra is a
complicated play—a cross between history and romantic tragedy. Political intrigue and
war test the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra.
The audience is transported to the ancient world by the set designed by Eric Allgeier.
Tall sandstone walls bear torches and feathered fans, creating an Egyptian palace.
Lindsay Krupski deserves top marks for her lighting design. Egypt and Rome are
distinguished from one another through lighting temperature. Shifts in color and the
creation of shadows emphasize dramatic moments within the play.
Donna Lawrence-Downs’s costumes do not disappoint. Egyptian handmaidens wear
flowy, bright colored sheath dresses. Cleopatra first appears draped in a purple silk gown. An intricate gold collar and a crown of gold mark her as not just a woman, but a queen, perhaps even a goddess. In contrast, the Roman men wear classical white togas with embroidered trim, embodying regal masculinity. Additions of bold color mark key players in the political drama.
The first half of the play moves slowly, introducing history and setting up political
conflicts. Melodrama rules the second act as the audience sees the cost of Antony and Cleopatra’s love. Mary Baunjoko commands the stage as Cleopatra. She radiates desire and openly shows her deep love for Mark Antony (Zachary Burrell). Burell matches her passion. Octavius Caesar (Neill Roberston) serves as the antagonist in the story; he is cold, logical, and seeks dominion over all. Robertson clashes with Burrell—sharp uptightness against easy charm; reason versus feeling.
The entire cast truly deserves praise, particularly in the intense second act. Gregory
Maupin as Enobarbus bears his regrets so openly that the audience shares them.
Sasha Cifuentes and Abigail Maupin as handmaidens, Iras and Charmian, are both so
expressive; their sorrows outweigh their natural effervescence. The final moments
between Antony and Cleopatra are no less intense than in the beginning; the scene is
tender and mournful. Baunjoko as a dying Cleopatra is stunning—a vision of gold, fiery
emotion, and the stuff of legend.
Antony and Cleopatra is a story about power and desire; logic pitted against emotion;
and the dangers of letting the heart rule the head. This seldom produced play is not one
to be missed.
Antony and Cleopatra Part of Kentucky Shakespeare’s Festival in Central Park
June 18-July 25, 2026
C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheatre in Old Louisville's Central Park
1340 South Fourth Street
Louisville, KY 40208
Comments