An abridged and more modern adaptation of Julius Caesar is coming to Writer's Theatre, which is located in Glencoe, Deerfield's neighbor.
The William Shakespeare play is three hours long, but the Artistic Director of the venue, Michael Haberstam, worked with actor Scott Parkinson to pare the play down to 100 minutes. They also excluded the intermission.
Parkinson believes that several characters are thrown into the play that “kind of sketched in” and the play can afford to lose. The final two acts can be confusing to modern theater patrons too, he says.
The abridged version focuses on the four main characters in these final acts. They are Cassius (played by Parkinson himself), Marc Antony (Thomas Vincent Kelly), Brutus (Kareem Bandealy), and Octavius Caesar (Sydney Germaine).
According to Julius Caesar's actor, Madrid St. Angelo, the adaptation is more simple and intense. It demonstrates the play's main elements, the pursuit, and corruption of power. The four characters drive the plot and their choices impact the world in the play.
St. Angelo believes that focusing on them, the audience is more emotionally involved in the story. Their doubts and flaws hinder good decisions and create tragedy for their situation. Parkinson has even hinted that performing the play during an election year may shed light on how modern politics reflects its Roman roots.
The play runs from tomorrow (September 7) to October 16. Theaters always need printing services to advertise plays like this.
