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Friday, Sep 05, 2008
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Vigorous Caesar shakes Seattle Center |
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| Vigorous Caesar shakes Seattle Center | ||
| by Miryam Gordon -
SGN A&E Writer CHAMBER JULIUS CAESAR DIRECTED BY GREGG LOUGHRIDGE SEATTLE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY THROUGH JANUARY 27 SEATTLE CENTER HOUSE THEATER A "chamber" Shakespeare is slightly edited, sometimes for time, sometimes for numbers of characters. This Seattle Shakespeare production is a little shorter and with fewer characters than the sprawling play that Shakespeare wrote. Another immediately apparent aspect to this production is that some women play men. Probably because Julius Caesar has almost no female characters of note, and this gives some capable actresses a place in the production. So, one of the main conspirators, Cassius, is played by Hana Lass, an intense young actress who beguiles us into believing that a woman could be part of the political elite of the time. Octavius and Lucius are women (Kate Witt and Jessica Hatlo), who later double as other female parts. They all handle the duality of playing the opposite sex with sturdiness. A bravura performance of Portia is given by Kelly Kitchens, who brings all the emotions one could hope for to a wife struggling to understand her husband's keeping secrets from her. The whole production is staged as a kind of dojo, creating a military atmosphere that also flows into the ideas of 'honor' and 'loyalty' that Caesar references throughout the play. The spare costuming works well and maybe better than Shakespearean garb would, to contextualize some of the undertones of the play. This production makes it plainer that Julius Caesar wasn't assassinated because of anything he had yet done wrong, but because of his potential to do harm. The assassinators jumped the non-smoking gun, sort of like invading Iraq. Andrew McGinn makes a charming and charismatic Caesar, bringing out his ability to charm the public into wishing he were their king. David Quicksall creates a stalwart and principled Brutus who is brought with difficulty to agree that killing Caesar is necessary. And boy are his muscles pretty. Sets by Jason Phillips, sound by M. Elizabeth Eller and Robert Langley, lights by Tim Wratten, and costumes by Christine Meyers are all well-befitting the production. Overall, it's a sleek and lean look and feel. There is an interesting inclusion to the production of a shadow screen upon which crowds are projected and behind which action is sometimes emphasized. It's hard to describe, but both lightens and darkens the action, by turns. Audience participation is emphasized, which is one of the aspects director Gregg Loughridge is apparently known for. Brandon Simmons provides ringmastership and comic relief, as he begins the play by teaching us how to chant, "Caesar, Caesar" and other slogans. Later, as Casca, he is the epitome of cowardice, joining the conspirators and then abandoning them when danger appears. Young people were in the audience and didn't seem to have trouble following along, so it's accessible to youngers, if you're inclined to bring 'em. Clocking in at around 2 1/4 hours, it clips by quickly and vigorously. For more information, go to www.seattleshakespeare.org or call 206-733-8222. Comments on reviews go to sgncritic@gmail.com. |
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