Friends, Artists, Patrons, lend me your ears!
I’m Brian Balcom and I’m assisting Michael Halberstam and Scott Parkinson on the upcoming production of Julius Caesar. It’s been a great first two weeks in the rehearsal room and I’m thrilled to let you know about the work we’ve been doing.
The first thing you should know is that the script is not just a cutting of Shakespeare’s text, it is a true adaptation. Both Michael and Scott Parkinson have not only cut, but also rearranged and spliced scenes, and even added text from other Shakespeare plays. Their goal is to carve out a clean, efficient, and focused story while making the language a bit more accessible.
Michael brought several important discussions to the table that have informed and enriched the action of the play:
Personal Investment
The team has done much work to make the story personal and connected. Those who conspire to kill Caesar aren’t evil villains—they simply love their city and are desperate to save it from tyranny. The scenes between domestic partners aren’t fights—they’re trying to listen, understand, and help. The conflict between Cassius and Brutus is really about what they can’t say to each other. These approaches are helping to ground the story in a relatable and human way.
Historical Importance
The actions in this play significantly shaped the world as we know it. Rome was the most powerful civilization for nearly a millennium and Caesar was poised to become its first emperor. And his death was likely the first-ever assassination of a true world leader. This is the story of a hugely influential moment in history: if Caesar never sought to turn Rome from a republic into an empire or if he were never assassinated, one can only imagine what the global and political landscape would be today.
The Present
We are likely approaching a precipice. Our upcoming election will have significant effects well beyond our borders. Our environment is becoming more commonly chaotic. Attacks on horrific attacks occur with increasing frequency. So what is our responsibility? How can we create agency against such powerful forces? What must we do when the world is at stake?
As you can imagine, we’ve spent a lot of time in rehearsal investigating the text, relationship, character, and context of the play, but we’ve also begun to shape it on its feet. Though we have work still to do, the play is coming along nicely. Movement Director Breon Arzell is creating a physical language that is as energetic as it is dynamic. We’ve got a phenomenal team of designers on board and I can’t wait to move into the theater where the world of the play will really start to take form.
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