Review: Triumph
Triumph, a new play by Caryl Churchill, is short and forceful, packing a serious punch. This 20-minute world premiere production, based on Suetonius’s The Twelve Caesars, stars Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford as Iris, press secretary to the Roman emperors, as she boasts of transforming Rome from a city of brick into one of marble. Though it never explicitly lays its cards on the table, the play is unmistakably a commentary on the current U.S. administration and the broader nature of authoritarian rule. By placing accounts of Roman imperial cruelty alongside contemporary political speech, Churchill draws a parallel between ancient Rome and modern America, illustrating how governments can control their people through fear.
Yet the play’s brevity is also where it falters. From the opening moments, when Iris makes out with journalist Marcus (played by Joe Tapper, Ashford’s real-life husband), the playwright keeps the political circumstances, characters’ motivations, and direction of the narrative frustratingly vague. Churchill never explicitly explains what is happening until the very end, and I spent the majority of the play confused. The script’s political intent is clear—very clear—but in its attempt to stay concise, the deeper themes never receive the development they seem to demand. While the intentional ambiguity should be retained, it should not come at the expense of coherence.
Despite this underdevelopment, Churchill’s writing still offers moments of striking theatricality within the play’s tight runtime. She creates a fascinating juxtaposition between Iris’s blonde-wigged briefings on what appears to be a cable news network and the brutal Roman punishments she announces in the polished language of modern political communication. Ashford’s emotional delivery of these announcements conveys Iris’s struggle between professional duty and personal morality, driving the play’s message home. Meanwhile, the play’s third character, Rufus (Christopher Ryan Grant), emerges from the shadows as one of the emperors’ henchmen. His calm presence makes him all the more unsettling as he praises Iris’ attempt to expose the cruel treatment of citizens, reminding both her and the audience how effectively a government can wield fear.
Ultimately, Triumph is a tantalizing glimpse of what could have been a far more substantial political drama. Churchill’s writing offers pointed parallels between ancient Rome and contemporary America, and the production’s visual contrasts make those connections strikingly apparent. I was reminded of one of my favorite lines from Operation Mincemeat: Jean says, “If people like us just blindly follow orders, the fascists won't need to bash the door down. They'll have already won.” That sentiment lies at the heart of Triumph: resisting oppression is essential to defeating it. Still, the play feels more like the beginning of a compelling argument than a fully realized one. It leaves an impression, but not quite the one it might have had with more time to develop its ideas.
3/5 stars
20 minutes, no intermission
The Public, Shiva Theatre
Through November 3, 2026
