Director’s Note:
Like many of Shakespeare’s plays, Julius Caesar has a long history of being reimagined for audiences in the time in which it is performed. Even the show’s original text suggests that Shakespeare’s actors wore “doublets” and typical Elizabethan dress rather than Roman togas and laurel crowns. In 1937, Orson Welles depicted a production that cast the Roman senators and triumvirs as fascist dictators, the likes of Hitler and Stalin. The show’s commentary on the politics of the time was powerful, and with the future director of Citizen Kane at the helm, the production was a triumph. In a similar vein, in the summer of 2017, the Pacific Theatre in New York staged a production of Julius Caesar that drew direct comparisons to contemporary American politicians, specifically President Donald Trump. The production caused backlash from critics on both sides of the aisle, but was nevertheless a talked-about success.
With this production, we harken back to a time closer to Welles’ interpretation than to the Public Theatre’s, combining the asthetic of film noir and mob movies like The Godfather to create a unique and hopefully relevant performance. We meet our characters, Julius Caesare and his supporters-both willing and coerced-returning from conquest, not in 44 BC, but 1944 AD, and not in ancient Rome but on the streets of an urban American landscape. Through these choices, I assert that although the relevance of the show’s political themes should not be ignored, the conflict is not unique to Caesar’s time or our own. Julius Caesar is about more than just politics. It tells a story of love, friendship, loyalty, and betrayal.
Our production, like any, has had its stumbles, its bumps in the road. But every stressful or tense moment has been repaid tenfold in laughter, creative exploration, and-in keeping with the themes of the show-friendship. It has been my distinct pleasure to work alongside all of the incredibly talented artists, designers, and actors that appeared in this show for the past several months, and in some cases over a year. I hope that my interpretation does justice to their tremendous dedication, focus, and hard work. And on behalf of everyone involved in this production, I hope you enjoy the show.
-Jess Miller, Director, Julius Caesar
Artistic Staff:
Director: Jess Miller
Assistant Director: Sam Signorelli
Stage Manager: Hannah Umansky
Producer: Hazel Lindahl
Assistant Producers: Kimberly O’Keeffe and Wendy Fan
Cast List:
Antony: Nathan Berelovich
Brutus: Jakob Cansler
Caesar: Jake Matthews
Cassius: Ali Cheraghpour
Casca/Titinius/Citizen: Greer Moore
Decius/Lucilius/Citizen: Bob Lynch
Metellus/Messala/Citizen: Maggie Vaughan
Cinna/Pindarus/Citizen 2: Ingrid Kenyon
Trebonius/Volumnius/Flavius: Eddie Dunoyer
Portia/Citizen 3/Soldier for Antony: Maille-Rose Smith
Calpurnia/Citizen 4/Soldier for Brutus: Madi Lahey
Soothsayer/Servant/Citizen: Rachel Meierovich
Lucius/Citizen 1: Elyse Morris
Publius/Octavius: Noah Collins
Lepidus/Marullus/Soldier for Antony: Mia Shaker
Cicero/Cinna the Poet/Soldier for Brutus: Maxwell Rowshandel
Tech Staff:
Technical Director: Robert Anton
Assistant Technical Director: Jared Capelle
Head Carpenter: Hunter Frakes
Head Paint: Savannah Stevens>
Hair and Makeup: Amrita Singh
Assistant Hair and Makeup: Wendy Fan
Sound Designer: Kate Lewis
Props Master: Shreya Dubey
Costumes: Fi O’Reilly-Sanchez and Ari Pettis
Movement and Music Director: Apollo Yong
Musicians:
Trumpet: Zach White;
Saxophone: Nick Anthony;
Piano: Martin Moro;
Bass Guitar: Grady Tollison;
Percussion: Ben Helmkamp;
Gallery:
