'Julius Caesar': a modern take on a classic scandal

Is it right for a champion of democracy to kill to serve the interests of the nation? Can any true democrat act in the "best interests of the people" if the people do not support his or her actions? The Princeton Shakespeare Company's performance of "Julius Caesar" raises questions about the nature of government and the ethics of revolution that have plagued political commentary for generations. The decision of director Andy Linz '11 to set his play against a modern backdrop succeeds in bringing these political issues center stage.

Linz and his cast bring just enough modern flavor to "Julius Caesar" to remind the audience that civil war and political assassination are still concerns today. Linz gives the play a setting, and then he lets Shakespeare do the talking. Jordan Bubin '09 (Julius Caesar), Paul Miller '10 (Marcus Brutus) and Julia Keimach '12 (Caius Cassius) lead the cast in a stirring performance. Each speech - and believe me, Shakespeare's play is filled with them - leaves the audience feeling like it is in the middle of a political rally, an effect aided by the intimacy of the Class of 1970 Theater in Whitman College. Linz uses the space's intimacy by placing the Roman spectators of the pivotal speeches delivered by Brutus and Antony (Matt Prast '12) over Caesar's dead body and around the outside of the audience. Each shout of encouragement or disapproval pulls the audience further into the setting of civil unrest and political uncertainty. It does, however, lead the audience to focus more on the whispered words of the spectators - who in some cases are just inches away from the audience members - than on the important oratory of the Roman politicians. It might have been less distracting to pump in the muffled sounds of a roaring crowd than to include live spectators.

It's a pity that the audience cannot focus on the podium, because Miller's and Prast's deliveries of Brutus' and Antony's speeches to the mourning members of the Roman public could be used as tape to instruct aspiring politicians. Both Miller and Prast capture the essence of their characters and inspire the audience, Miller's Brutus with a real compassion for Rome and the well-contemplated reason of a pure idealist and political veteran, and Prast's Antony with the incensing and manipulating emotionality of a rising dictator. The audience respects Brutus' love of democratic integrity as much as it fears Antony's ability to twist his words and control the public like a puppeteer.

Bubin and Keimach, too, portray their characters with stunning accuracy. Bubin's Caesar brims with confidence, just arrogant enough not to stem the growing tide of dissent and jealousy among his fellow politicians. Keimach's Cassius at first seems as cold and manipulating as Antony, but she slowly reveals Cassius' more human, less self-assured nature. By the end of the play, the audience cannot help but feel for the beleaguered Cassius, who is murdered as a result of false reports and her own lack of confidence.

To casual observers, it might seem obvious that the good side loses in "Julius Caesar." Brutus, Cassius and their co-conspirators are murdered, and Antony and Octavius, the vestiges of Caesar's designs on sole rule of the Roman Empire, are victorious. But after watching the Princeton Shakespeare Company's "Julius Caesar," they won't be so sure. Linz wondered, "Are the conspirators justified" in murdering Caesar? In the end, members of the audience will have to decide for themselves.

4 Paws

Pros Bringing Shakespeare into the political arena. Shining stars Paul Miller ‘10 and Julia Keimach ‘12.

Cons Attempt to make the audience a part of the speeches, detracting from stellar performances