The first mainstage show of this year’s School of Theater season is Julius Caesar.
The performances will be at 8 p.m. Oct. 25-27 and 2 p.m. Oct. 27-28 at Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center.
The show is a historical play by William Shakespeare about the assassination of Julius Caesar, a Roman dictator, in 44 B.C., and the political ramifications of that decision.
Lance Marsh, professor of acting and head of performance, is the director.
“I think one of the things this show is about is being careful with the decisions that you make because they have wider ramifications oftentimes than the ones that you foresee,” Marsh said. “One of the things that I like about it is that it’s not a black or white play—it’s a gray play. I think Shakespeare is really ambivalent about the actions of these characters and is much more interested in stirring a conversation.”
The show will be set in a 1963 setting to parallel the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Marsh said he chose this time period to liken the popularity of Caesar with Kennedy.
“Shakespeare’s plays are timeless, but they also can sometimes resonate better if you put them into a very specific place,” Marsh said. “One thing that jumped out at me pretty quickly was that Caesar is an incredibly popular leader. Everyone knows Caesar. Then I started asking, ‘well, who was the first American president that Americans really knew?’ The first president that all Americans knew in a sort of moment-to-moment kind of living way was John F. Kennedy.”
Blayne Childers, acting junior and “Marcus Brutus” in the play, said rehearsals have been going smoothly due to the work ethic of the cast.
“Everyone’s been working hard and putting in a great effort—It’s Shakespeare, it’s not easy,” he said.
Micah Gilley, acting senior and “Decius Brutus,” said she is excited for the show.
“I’m having a blast right now,” she said. “I’ve never been in a mainstage myself, so I really was excited that my first one was going to be a Shakespeare.”
Madison Carey, acting senior and “Casca,” said the rehearsal process focuses heavily on analyzing Shakespeare’s writing.
“We spent the first week just reading the script through a few times and going line by line, ‘what does this mean, what are you saying,’” Carey said. “Lance would be like, ‘come in, look up all your words, know exactly what you’re saying,’ and then when you’re reading it, he’ll be like, ‘what are you saying?’ So you’ve got to be able to translate it to our time.”
The production strays from traditional casting choices, with many male roles gender bent to have women play them instead. Such roles include “Cassius” and “Casca.”
Carey said Shakespeare’s work is a good opportunity for gender bending because the characters are relatable and adaptable to anyone’s experience.
“It has been really awesome,” she said. “It’s kind of hard to imagine some of these roles weren’t originally intended to be played by women in the first place.”
Tickets can be purchased in advance at okcu.edu/main/tickets or through the ticket office in the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment.
Editor’s note: Associate Editor Emily Wollenberg is a performer in the production. She did not participate in the writing or editing of this story.
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