We’ve often heard the prophetic line that those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. With that in mind, Trump watchers are advised to regard the story of Julius Caesar because the parallels are pretty astonishing. And while I shudder to think how this chapter in our modern history will end, consider that both men held sway over a rabidly loyal populist movement. And they were eventually countered by an opposition that initially underestimated their power.
Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar could almost serve as a blueprint for the political machinations that divide our nation today. And that’s why I urge you to check out Shakespeare@Home’s radio play which is offering a riveting version of the classic in four bitesize episodes, each running about a half hour and it’s all free.
Parts One and Two are available now for your listening pleasure, adapted by Artistic Director Sean Hagerty and streamlined for maximum effect. The cast is led by Patrick Page in the title role, along with a host of Broadway and West End heavyweights.
The company’s stated mission—paying homage to the heyday of radio theater—is perfectly timed in these pandemic months, enabling us to experience the sound and fury of the Bard’s text while in the comfort of our homes. The production is beautifully enhanced by audio effects courtesy Sonic Designs which transport listeners to Roman times putting us in the Coliseum, the Senate, and the Forum amid immense crowds.
Shakespeare’s description of the worshipful hordes bedecking Caesar’s statues with flowers and crowns is weirdly similar to the images of the golden statue of Trump paraded at the CPAC gathering this past weekend. And consider that Caesar’s calls for a return to ancient Roman glory are not all that different from the MAGA mantra that unites Trump supporters.
Caesar’s rise certainly mirrors Trump’s as the play describes Caesar’s ability to whip up his base of supporters in an audacious power grab that sidestepped the rule of law. By hook and crook, Caesar was able to capitalize on his followers’ frustration with a political system that didn’t always cater to their immediate needs. And it was his cult of personality that enabled him to turn the Roman democracy into an authoritarian regime that ultimately triggered the end of the Republic.
We can only hope that’s not our fate, but Shakespeare devised the play as less an indictment of Caesar than a warning about the power of rhetoric and the ability of oratory to influence public opinion. Shakespeare cynically wants us to see that people, like sheep, are easily misled for good and bad.
This is not an easy play to stage given the sheer size of the cast—mostly male—in roles that could almost be interchangeable. In Parts One and Two, the conspirators are introduced plotting Caesar’s assassination. As a radio play, it’s quite a challenge to distinguish between them all. And it takes a while for your ears to establish who’s who. But thanks to a company of first class actors with such distinctive voices, by the second episode you’ll be able to keep track of who’s speaking.
Among the standouts in this first half, Jordan Barbour (last seen in The Inheritance on Broadway) embodies the complexities of Brutus, an upstanding man whose code of honor pushes him to commit murder in the name of morality.
Jamie Ballard, who was terrific as Harry Potter on Broadway, shows off his versatility in the very different role of the wily Mark Antony, Caesar’s loyal friend and defender. I’m very eager to hear how he handles his big scenes in Parts 3 and 4.
And all hail Patrick Page as Caesar, another morally ambiguous character self-deluded and drunk on power. Page captures all the nuances of a man blinded by ambition, but not quite a villain.
It is indeed frightening to consider that even after 2000 years, history can and does repeat itself. Thankfully, we have theater, great theater to remind us that the past could become our future.
Part Three debuts next week, on the 8th and the tragedy ends on the 15th. Judging by the quality of the work so far, this will be an Ides of March to look forward to.
Julius Caesar was streamed beginning February 22, 2021. Information: shakespeare-at.org
