A political thriller by Tyler Angier, produced in partnership with Theatre Source Los Angeles

Set in 27 BC at the dawn of Augustus Caesar’s reign, The Roman reimagined the birth of empire as a chilling mirror of the present. The play followed a dissident writer, imprisoned for his anonymous acts of rebellion against a newly crowned ruler, who is unexpectedly offered a covert seat on the Emperor’s counsel. What begins as an opportunity to influence power from within quickly becomes a dangerous moral reckoning about complicity, courage, and the seductive logic of authoritarian systems.

Using the fall of Rome as allegorical scaffolding, the production explored the recurring cycles of political deception, state violence, class exploitation, and the weaponization of belief. Through its central figure, “The Roman,” the play gave voice to the modern citizen’s crisis: what happens when someone who has spoken truth from the shadows is suddenly forced to confront power face to face?

Both historical thriller and contemporary provocation, The Roman examined how empires sustain themselves through mythmaking, fear, and the manipulation of public faith. Its themes of resistance, moral responsibility, and the cost of silence invited audiences to consider the unsettling persistence of ancient patterns in modern governance.

Presented by TSLA, the production stood as a bold theatrical inquiry into power, conscience, and the uneasy line between survival and surrender.