Lend your ears to Theatre II’s ‘Julius Caesar’ this week

Students revive classic Shakespearean play

By Lindsay Casale, staff writer
Posted on November 15, 2007

JMU’s Theatre II is known for producing experimental shows, but this weekend it will be tackling a classic, and a Shakespearean one at that. Director Natasha Solomon will lead a cast of 10 performers in recreating ancient Rome through Shakespeare’s powerful rendition of “Julius Caesar.”

There are many factors to consider when attempting to make a Shakespearean tragedy relatable to college-age students. Sophomore Therese Mayer, who plays Flavuis, Decius, Lucius, Cinna the Poet and Voluminus found “Julius Caesar” a perfect play for this task.

“I believe the production is relatable because there are emotions we can all relate to from each character,” she said. 

Mayer also noted the production’s “modern and contemporary elements” will add an unexpected level to an already well-known play.

Each actor faced challenges in preparing for the production, and the entire cast had to focus on mastering the sometimes-cryptic Shakespearean language.

“What I loved most was figuring out the language,” freshman Kristin Gibson said. “Natasha had us working really hard to figure out exactly what we were saying, through paraphrasing all our lines into our own words.”

The mostly-female cast also had an unexpected task of portraying convincing male characters.

“With the exception of two [people], all of the women in this show had to play men,” Mayer said. “We paid close attention to the way guys around campus walked, and tried to incorporate that.”

Gibson voiced a similar concern. “All three of my characters are men, and as a woman I had to change my walk, posture, voice and facial expressions to capture the essence of masculinity,” she said.

Set and costume also play an important role in “Julius Caesar.” Costume designer Sade Namei and set designer Jackson Thompson worked to create a sense of authenticity through the physical appearance of the production.

“What I love about the set is the columns,” senior Asher Nicholson, who plays Brutus, said. “People tend to think Rome equals white columns, but Rome was a colorful place, and our set reflects that.

Audience members can expect to walk away with a new outlook on the story of Caesar as well as on the work of Shakespeare. “Julius Caesar” runs  Nov. 15-16 at 8 p.m., Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Nov. 18 at 2 p.m.   

Tickets may be purchased two hours before the show or at the door for $3 each.