Julius Caesar EC

            In Julius Caesar, I found many parts quite interesting. I read this play for the first time in high school. I still remember to this day, it was eleventh grade in Mrs. Rezny’s class. How can I NOT remember this story, it took us over two weeks to read it. Everyday we would get assigned parts to read, nobody wanted the long parts because then you would have a full day of reading in front of you, haha. I would usually get a shorter role, but sometimes the teacher would “volunteer” me into a larger one.

            So, I found the play to be rather interesting. It was the complete opposite of what I thought it would be. I went on Saturday at eight and quite honestly, I was expecting a large stage with fancy lights but I did not see that. Maybe I expected too much? I do not know, last time I saw a good play was about five years ago when I saw Jesus Christ Superstar. That play had everything in it, costumes, music and a LARGE stage. You never forget a good play, it kind of sticks in your mind. This play that I saw on Saturday did not compare in the slightest bit. It did not have good music, costumes or a big stage. I felt that this was either a dress rehearsal or a quick “put-together”.  The characters were dressed in normal street clothes with the exception of a few that had nice formal apparel. I always feel that costumes give a play the extra boost that lifts it from either bad to average or good to great.

            Moving on to the acting portion of the play, I felt that it was pretty good. Most characters showed the signs of good actors; emotion, memorization and effort. I do not know if these are all the “good signs” of actors, but that’s what I feel. So, these actors and actresses memorized their lines well and did well portraying their characters. From what I saw, the crowd was sort of into it. They looked excited about the play. The crowd consisted of about fifty or so people. Most of the people were sitting in the front of the room, near the stage while a few people stood in the back videotaping the whole play.

            My favorite part of the Julius Caesar play is the part where Cassius and Brutus betray Julius Caesar. I find it interesting how throughout the whole play they are each conspiring to get him and Caesar has no idea. He kind of just sits there and is waiting to get setup. Finally, when they do get him, Caesar does his famous “Et-tu Brute” line. I believe that means “and you Brutus”. Wow, what a dramatic line. Imagine your best friend killing you and you saying something to them. I think I would say this type of thing as well. I might say something like “Wow, you are a…” haha. Overall, I felt this play was a success for those who put it on even though it lacked costumes which would have made it better.

         So, my question is: What is the advantage of not wearing costumes? Does it bring the play to life or kill it?

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