“Julius Caesar” is William Shakespeare’s most political play. Its larger-than life characters and universal themes invite modern re-imaginings. In fact, New York Public Theatre’s 2017 Shakespeare in the Park production went so far as to recreate Caesar in the guise of the U.S. president, even giving Caesar’s wife a distinctive Slavic accent. The Laboratory Theater of Florida is not taking that bait.
“There's a tendency to lean towards what is happening politically in our government,” observed Artistic Director Nykkie Rizley. “We wanted to stray as far from that as possible so that you didn't get caught in the politics of what ‘Julius Caesar’ is about, but rather the undying themes of ‘Julius Caesar,’ the ambition, the trust, loyalty, betrayal.”
True to its mission to stage edgy, provocative theater, Lab Theater is modernizing the play in a number of ways.
“We took it out of the pillars of Rome and put it in a dark, dingy parking lot,” said Rizley. “Don't think so much swords and daggers. Think more crowbars and baseball bats.”
Lab has also shortened the play and reduced the normal size of its cast.
“What we did was we took Shakespeare's ‘Julius Caesar,’ which generally runs about four hours long and has 27 characters and cut it down to 90 minutes and nine people,” said Rizley.
The casting is also re-imagined.
“The four main roles - Julius Caesar, Antony, Brutus and Caius Cassius - have been uniquely cast,” Rizley noted. “Those four people will include Ryan Adair, Shelley Sanders, Justin Larsche and Christian Rivero. Do with that what you will.”
But there is one feature that won’t change.
“It's still Shakespeare's language,” Rizley said.
That’s good tidings, because the speeches included in this play are iconic.
“Julius Caesar” runs March 27th to April 26th.
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Joining Adair, Sanders ("Clown Bar" trilogy, "Sharing the Same Umbrella," "Eula Mae's Beauty, Bait & Tackle," "The Women Who Mapped the Stars"), Larsche ("Grey House," "Clyde's," "The Tempest," "The Shadow Box") and Rivero in the cast of “Julius Caesar” are Derek Kemp ("The Watcher"), Greg Wojciechowski ("Southern Fried Funeral," "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play," "Young Frankenstein," "On Golden Pond"), Marja Murawski, Abby Seeley ("Grey House," "The Minutes"), Roslyn Kellogg ("Grey House" and Daniel Sabiston ("Yippee Ki-Yay Merry Christmas A Die Hard Musical Parody," "Save Hamlet," "The Play That Goes Wrong," "The Birds: A Parody").
“The oldest person that we have in the cast has been a member of AARP for quite some time,” Rizley observed. “The youngest is in high school. It's a phenomenal cast. They're having an absolute blast. It's a lot of black leather and ripped-up jeans. It's just aesthetically very cool.”
Notwithstanding the modern tweaks, Rizley is confident that Lab’s production will appeal to Shakespeare traditionalists.
“I think that the traditionalist will be excited to see a new wave of Shakespeare lovers being born from this rendition.”
Rizley similarly expects people who don’t like Shakespeare or who have yet to see one of his plays performed onstage to become newfound fans.
“We do a really nice job of breaking it down onto the core level of what it is,” Rizley said. “Whether you like Shakespeare or not, whether you think you understand his language or not, you can still clearly understand the themes he’s talking about. Betrayal and trust and honesty and ambition are all things that we understand, and when you rip those things open and you expose them, whether you follow every single word, you'll still have a clear understanding of what exactly is going on.”
Although Shakespeare’s plays have captivated audiences for over 400 years, many people find the language off-putting. Words and phrases that were common in Elizabethan England are now alien to modern English speakers. This creates what linguist John McWhorter calls a “fog” that prevents us from fully grasping the beauty and power of Shakespeare’s work. But even though audiences may not understand every word, context typically enables people to figure out precisely what’s happening.
The universality of Shakespeare’s themes attracts young and old from all demographics and ethnicities.
Lest you, too, think you won’t like Shakespeare, consider this: “The Lion King” was based on “Hamlet,” as was “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.” “West Side Story” (1961 & 2021) was based on “Romeo & Juliet” (substitute rival street gangs for feuding noble families). “Ten Things I Hate About You” (1999) was based on “The Taming of the Shrew,” as was “Deliver Us from Eva” (2003), which was set in a contemporary African American community.
“Anyone But You” was based on “Much Ado About Nothing,” “John Tucker Must Die” was based on “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and “O” (2001) was based on “Othello” (star basketball player manipulated into jealousy by his friend).
But Lab’s production of Julius Caesar has more in common with Joss Whedon’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” which kept Shakespeare’s original text but modernized the play’s settings, costumes and street vibe to capture the spirit of witty banter and romance.
Like “Much Ado About Nothing” and “West Side Story,” “Julius Caesar” is set in the present time in the asphalt parking lot of a derelict apartment complex. The production begins as a breaking news story that quickly devolves into social anarchy. As the facts fail, the literal structure of the setting and the storytelling crumble under the weight of the escalating disorder.
Lab Theater’s decision to avoid overt political references is a departure from the way “Julius Caesar” is normally staged. For example, Riverside Shakespeare Company’s 1984 production was set in Washington to heighten, rather than avoid, comparisons to present political times and administrations. However, Orson Welles’ 1937 production at the Mercury Theater contained the most strident political commentary on modern times. Welles designed his production of ''Julius Caesar'' to make audiences think of Mussolini's Blackshirts — and it did.
Performance dates:
- There is a half-price preview on March 26 at 7:30 p.m.
- Matinee performances are March 29 and April 4, 5, 12, 19 and 26 at 2 p.m.
- Evening performances are March 27 and 28 and April 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $37 each or $10 for students with valid student IDs. Tickets on “Thrifty Thursday nights” are $32 each for adults. For tickets, telephone 239-291-2905 or visit www.laboratorytheaterflorida.com.
Nykkie Rizley is a founding member and vice president of The Laboratory Theater of Florida and director of operations at Royal Shell Vacations.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
