A Community Effort

Seeking Truth and Authenticity

In England at the end of the 16th century, with an aging queen on throne who had reigned for 41 years, political change was imminent. Elizabeth was 66 and had not married, produced children, or named an heir. In 1599, amidst anxiety about succession and the future of the nation, including the threat of civil war, Shakespeare penned Julius Caesar. Set in Rome in 44 BC, in a world of political intrigue and domestic tension, the play explores the rise of Caesar—a popular, effective and powerful leader—and the moral dilemma faced by Marcus Brutus. Should he stand by while Caesar’s ambitions threaten the civic virtues of the Republic? Or, should he side with the conspirators? This group is increasingly concerned about Caesar’s assault on civil liberties and potential for authoritarianism and seeks to assassinate him. Brutus hesitates but is swayed by Cassius (Cassia in our production) who appeals to both his patriotism and vanity. Brutus makes his choice in Act 3 Scene 1 and the rest of the play explores the disastrous consequences of his actions. Written right after Henry V, and immediately before Hamlet, all three plays explore issues of leadership (who is fit to rule), personality, power, corruption and the fate of the nation. While Shakespeare based his play on historical events, it is decidedly not a documentary. He does not worry about historical accuracy. For example, his actors would have worn a mix of togas and Elizabethan clothing and he was not bothered by using the chiming of a mechanical clock, which was not invented until the

“Our adaption seeks middle ages. Shakespeare’s truth and authenticity in primary source is Plutarch’s Lives of Noble Grecians and Romans, storytelling, togas with especially the biographies of a modern twist Caesar and Brutus, which had and diverse casting been translated into English by Thomas North. While the main that reflects our elements of the story are intact, community and world, Shakespeare adapts the material freely, as he did in his history plays. as we draw new Notably, he compresses time. The significance from this events of the two opening scenes were separated by months but enduring story.” Shakespeare has Caesar’s defeat of Pompey occur closer to the Ides of March, making the events of that - Kathryn M. Moncrief, day a more direct consequence Associate Director + Dramaturg of Caesar’s actions. Additionally, there were actually two battles of Philippi twenty days apart, Octavius did not reach Rome until six weeks after the death of Caesar, and Brutus and Cassius did not meet their demise until two years after the assassination. The effect is a play that is swift and incisive, sharpening the focus to key events, issues and