JULIUS CAESAR — STEPHEN BROWN-FRIED
June 12 - 30, 2013
Costumes by Aaron Patrick DeClerk
Lighting by Ethan Steimel
A properly executed staging of this great tragedy seldom fails to captivate even the most jaded theatergoer. What better way to see it than at the ever-excellent Trinity Shakespeare Festival and in the gifted hands of director Stephen Fried?
Fried provides a bloody, pensive counterpoint to the festival’s other play, the candy-colored The Taming of the Shrew. From the first look at Brian Clinnin’s magnificent set of a large Roman frieze and marble steps to the rousing funeral oration, the thrilling fight scenes (Brandon Sterrett), and gory resolution one is immersed in this fascinating world upon the stage. Shakespeare’s most popular Roman play is a plot-driven cornucopia of famous speeches and direct language that soars in the mouths of an outstanding ensemble. At first glance, casting the comedic David Coffee as the titular dictator appears to be a mistake; however, he infuses the character with a frail, yet fatherly gravitas that adds even more fatalism to his assassination. Every other actor also brings his or her A-game. Standouts include Alex Organ’s heroic Mark Antony. Organ is able to bring out the slippery ambition and ambiguity of Caesar’s most loyal follower quite well. Richard Haratine as the conflicted Marcus Brutus is a revelatory, pensive force. Steven Pounders’ turn as Caius Cassius is scorching, Trisha Miller’s Calphurnia is a regal vision, and Jenny Ledel as Portia is a fiery, inquisitive presence that makes one long to see her character more... You may think you already love Julius Caesar, or that you cannot be bothered to see another straight-forward production, but Trinity shows us (once again) that appearances are deceptive.
— M. Lance Lusk, D Magazine
It’s a powerful production of what turns out to be a very powerful script... For once, the play’s dominant relationship feels solid. From the very beginning, Cassius (Steven Pounders) is seen to be seducing the more idealistic Brutus (Richard Haratine) to join his rebellious faction... What makes all this work so well is Haratine’s performance, as directed by Stephen Fried... In fact, the whole cast is outstanding.
— Lawson Taitte, Dallas Morning News
Superbly acted... The body count in this historical tragedy is up there with Hamlet,and the blood often gushes like a Spindletop oil well. But the real killer aspect of this show is an incredibly strong cast. Who is the best of the bunch? Take your pick. Because another impressive thing about this production is the balance of talent up and down the cast list... You are urged to make sure some performance of this tragic bloodbath includes Caesar, Brutus, Antony et tu.
— Punch Shaw, Fort Worth Star-Telegram