Today I was lucky enough to watch the show I have been helping with most of my summer. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is the tragedy of the great roman emperor Julius Caesar and his story of political take down by conspirators from his own senate. I found Southern California Shakespeare Festival's (SCSF) production a very effective and entertaining adaptation of Shakespeare's original work. Although many changes were made, the ideas were executed effectively both in the acting and technicalities.
Changes
The major change from William Shakespeare's original production was that Julius Caesar was played by a woman and was consistently a woman throughout the play. In the program, the director gives a reason for this:
"A woman as Caesar? Because they play gives us a picture of order disrupted by something 'different' and away from predisposed conditions." -Josh Machamer, DirectorNot only was Caesar played by a woman, but some of the senate members were also played by women. This was to help make the play give off a 20/21st century feel.
Another change was that Caesar died not only once, but three times throughout the play. Once at the beginning, once in the middle, and the big finale at the end. This change really impacted the flow of the play because it made the small almost death scenes lead up to the final intense stabbing scene of the great Caesar.
Were these changes effective? I believe they were. These changes not only made the play more enjoyable, but it made it more understandable for the audience. Having this specific play be understandable for the audience is extremely important because Shakespeare is incredibly difficult to understand if it is not performed effectively. By making these changes, the play was more enjoyable altogether.
Acting
I thought the actors did an exceptional job of portraying their characters effectively. I was able to recognize each personality of each character. Some examples of this were Octavius Caesar (Nathaniel Aktsin-Johnson), Trebonius (Michael T. Kachingwe), Marcus Brutus (Robert Shields), and Cassius (Matthew Reidy). These actors really showed their character without even having to know any background on them. By doing this, the play becomes easier to understand for the audience which makes it more enjoyable.
Marcus Brutus and Cassius were both extremely strong characters which were played extremely well by their actors Robert Shields and Michael Reidy. One of my favorite scenes was when both of their characters are fighting and I could really feel the tension between them. They did an extraordinary job and I had fun watching them perform. However, the actor that really stood out to me was Sam Robinson who played the Soothsayer. His character was so captivating with his riddles and way of words and he made the play very enjoyable. Not only did his character clarify the play, but he also did an exceptional job just being extremely entertaining. He did a splendid job and was by far my favorite character from the entire show.
Technical (Lighting, Sound, Set, and Costume Design)
Not having very much experience with lighting, sound, set, or costumes, I only really know that I very much enjoyed the technicalities.
The lighting and sound gave the play a very dramatic and tragic mood. Knowing that this play was a tragedy, I think that the lights and sound were effectively used to give off to the audience the melodramatic tone of Shakespeare's tragedy. The set design was also cleverly made. By having one huge void in the middle, it represented that each character would go through madness.
The costumes were all set to the 20/21st century, consisting of suits, ties, and all types of formal clothing. Although the costumes were pretty bland, there were two costumes that really stood out to me. One was the Soothsayer's costume which I thought was fun and stood out. The costume consisted of pants with multiple patches, a rope for a belt, a striped shirt with a ridiculous vest, a coat with patches, and a bowler hat with flowers and patches to top it all off. It was very important for this costume to stand out since it did belong to the narrator. The other costume that caught my attention was the costumes for the war scenes. The actors wore blood stained shirts which were significant to show the change from classy senators, to wild barbarians after the murder.
In Conclusion
SCSF's production of Julius Caesar to me was enjoyable, effective, and engaging. It provided the understanding that the audience needs to enjoy the play completely. It also had amazing actors that were perfect for their roles and portrayed their characters effectively. The technicalities were also very helpful to give the play its proper tone and engaging. It was a wonderful experience to watch the actors I have gotten to know during the time I was able to work with them perform onstage and I hope to be able to do it again.
