In a two-hour rush, without an intermission, director
Karin Coonrod has envisioned Shakespeare’s JULIUS CAESAR in an empty,
industrial world, filled with shades of grey, both literally and
figuratively. Populated by characters who feign loyalty, modesty and concern
for the general welfare of the state, this modernist take on an oft-produced
classic falls somewhere in the middle of sharp political analysis and murky
social commentary.
Even in Shakespeare’s time, JULIUS CAESAR made
some poignant, if obvious, observations of the seemingly inherent
insincerity of those who deliver political speech, and their
often-incomprehensible ability to sway public opinion. In terms of dramatic
construction, the two funeral speeches following the Ides of March murder of
Julius Caesar (here, a blustery Earl Hindman), delivered in succession by
Brutus and Mark Antony, can be extremely problematic. To be delivered
successfully, the audience must believe in the absolute mutability of public
opinion, and must be themselves engrossed by the actors’ eulogies. Here,
now, in 2003, it is not a stretch to imagine the modern equivalent of the,
"Friends, Romans, Countrymen…" oratory being presented to a global audience
on the brink of war, and Ms. Coonrod uses modern circumstances to buoy the
import of the production.
In Karin Coonrod’s adaptation, the timely timelessness of
JULIUS CAESAR is omnipresent. She does as well as any in the major
aspects of her staging, but the elements that should be subtle or softer are
too hard, and the nuances of the dance are lost amidst the bells and
whistles. She includes nice touches, like melodic singing, and the
fast-paced direction that makes the plot seem inevitable. However, with the
plot cuts and quickness, some of the mystical elements suffer, rendering the
denouement rushed and ineffective. Most displeasing is the, as I call it,
"deer in the headlights" lighting design, which subjects the audience to
repeated bursts of bright light accompanied by clanking sound effects. Yeech!
So, while this is an uneven JULIUS CAESAR, it is
not a bad one. Too sanitized for my tastes, but with a tight running time
that is sure to lure some to the Lortel Theatre, it is, afterall,
Shakespeare.
- Kessa De Santis -
