Elgin Shakespeare Project to present unrehearsed 'Julius Caesar'
Elgin Shakespeare Project will present Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" unrehearsed at the Elgin Public House, 219 E. Chicago St. in downtown Elgin. Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9-10, and 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11. Performances are free; donations are accepted.
This production is part of Janus Theatre's Elgin Shakespeare Project, exploring original practices of Shakespeare's plays and his contemporaries. For information, visit www.janusplays.com.
The show
"Julius Caesar" is one of Shakespeare's most famous political plays. In the story, Caesar triumphantly returns to Rome, where jealous conspirators are afraid he may become king. They convince Caesar's friend Brutus to join their assassination plot against Caesar.
To stop Caesar from gaining too much power, Brutus and the conspirators kill him on the Ides of March. Mark Antony drives the conspirators out of Rome and fights them in a battle to regain order.
Caesar is one of Shakespeare's political plays incorporating elements of power, friendship, fate, free will and honor. Since it was first performed in 1599, it has been a popular play.
Unrehearsed Shakespeare
The play will be presented using cue script acting techniques. Actors will be working with scrolls in hand during the performance and will not have read the play or rehearsed scenes in advance. This brings a spontaneity and improvisational quality to the performance.
The cast features Jennifer Reeves-Wilson, Lori Holm, Heidi Swarthout, Allison Sword, Jamie Ewing, Danny Parrot, Derek Cook, Stetson Cross, Galen Malick, Beth Harris, Melody Jefferies, Richard Isemonger, and Sean Hargadon.
The production is produced by Artistic Director Sean Hargadon and stage managed by Tara Morrison, along with technique direction by Bill Kincaid.
The Elgin Shakespeare Project
The Elgin Shakespeare Project embarks on a three-year journey to further examine Shakespeare's plays and his contemporaries by using techniques developed during his time.
"By practicing the unrehearsed cue script technique along with other exciting innovations from the time," said Hargadon, "we hope to create a place where Shakespeare's plays speak directly to audiences today."