[NEohioPAL]Berko review: JULIUS CAESAR/Great Lakes

[Roy Berko]

JULIUS CAESAR REIGNS AT GREAT LAKES THEATER FESTIVAL

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	


‘JULIUS CAESAR,’ now running at the Great Lakes
Theater Festival,  deals with corrupt governments,
one’s conscience, doing what will be good for everyone
rather than thinking about one’s self, and the ability
to change the populace’s minds. It also reaches into
the area of grandness and becoming too ambitious.

The plot centers on Julius Caesar, who, after another
of his successful battles, is encouraged by a
worshiping crowd to become emperor.  He refuses,
though a number of Rome’s senators think he, in truth,
wants to become the dictator.  A group of
conspirators, including Caesar’s friend Brutus, plot
to murder him.  Following the murder, Brutus
ill-advisedly lets Mark Anthony give a funeral
oration. With his “friends, Roman, countrymen” speech,
Anthony stirs up the people and civil war ensues. 
Brutus commits suicide after it is apparent that his
SIDE has lost.  Still eloquent, Anthony delivers
Brutus' funeral oration, calling him the noblest Roman
of them all.   This is the stuff of which Freshman
English classes is made.

The play’s the thing, but, in reality, few people
realize the effect of Shakespeare on our modern day
perceptions.   Yes, many of the Bard’s lines are
quoted, many of his poems are memorized by unwilling
teens, but the lasting effect of Shakespeare’s words
are often ignored.   

One of the major places where this picture of “what
was” and “what you should believe” is displayed is in
the Bard’s  ‘JULIUS CAESAR.’   As one theorist states,
“The play captures with remarkable fidelity the ethos
and rhetorical style of late-republican Rome--so much
so, indeed, that it may be said that Shakespeare's
portraits of Caesar and his contemporaries have
largely formed our impressions of how the ancient
Romans thought and talked and conducted their civic
affairs. Recent studies of the play's references to
philosophy indicate, moreover, that Shakespeare knew a
good deal about Roman Stoicism and perceived it as one
of the characterizing traits that separate people, the
rigid, from the flexible.  

Interestingly,  the concept of stoicism is one of key
factors in our present-day Presidential election.  A
number of scholars have confirmed the validity of
writer and critic Mark Van Doren's early century
perception that in his portrayal of Brutus Shakespeare
was drawing on a widely held tradition that regarded
Stoicism as a philosophy that rendered its adherents
so assured of their own virtue as to be largely
incapable of recognizing or repenting of their faults.
 Hmm...sounds like a line right out of one of the
present day Presidential candidate’s attacks on the
other.

The GLTF production is excellent.  The concept is well
conceived by director Risa Brainin.  Taking a modern
approach, she has used Shakespearean language, but
flattened out the tones to make it palatable to the
American ear.  Using scenic designer Russell Metheny’s
modern set, and the contemporary Armani-type clothing
styles of Kim Krumm Sorenson, she has given the
audience a chance to realize the modern implications
of the play.  

Richard Klautsch develops an introspective Marcus
Brutus with an excellent underplay development. 
Without raging and ranting, Klautsch clearly shows the
inner turmoil that Brutus goes through in making his
painful decisions.  Douglas Frederick, who portrays a
Cassius filled with rage, is also effective.  Mark
Alan Gordon is excellent as Decius Brutus.  Laura
Perrotta makes for a fine Portia, wife to Brutus.

On the other hand, Aled Davies is not nearly cunning
enough as Julius Caesar.  His feigned ambition doesn’t
come through.  As he did with his Lady Bracknell role
in ‘THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST,’ Davies seems to
miss the true characterization.  Kelly Sullivan is
unbelievable as Calphurnia, wife to Caesar.  She, for
some inexplicable reason, whines her way through the
part.  And, why David Anthony Smith decided to
interpret Marcus Antonius as a fool is not clear.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  ‘JULIUS CAESAR’ is an important
Shakespearean play.  It takes on additional meaning
during this election year.  The GLTF production is
well worth seeing.

‘JULIUS CAESAR’ runs in Fall Repertory with ‘THE
IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST’ through November 7 at the
Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square .  For tickets  call
216-241-6000 or 800-766-6048, go to the tickets
outlets at Tops Friendly Markets, or go on one to
www.playhousesquare.com.  



=====
Roy Berko's web page can be found at royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, a free on-line source, which can be subscribed to at neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com.


		
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