Creative “Julius Caesar” at the St Lawrence Shakeskpeare Festival at Prescott.
Photo by David Blake. Richard Sheridan Willis as Julius Caesar.
Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, directed by Rona Waddington.
The St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival has opened their season with a strong and creative production of “Julius Caesar.” Director Rona Waddington, with special permission from Actors Equity, has recruited 18 volunteers to play soldiers, senators, and citizens along with the 12 professional actors. These volunteers do a fine job with the complex staging, as well as making some very nippy costume changes.
There are two real stand-outs in this generally strong cast. Ash Knight as a wonderfully nuanced Brutus and Richard Sheridan Willis as the complex Caesar are both expert at handling the language. My companion said for once she didn’t have to translate in her head. Jesse Nerenberg’s Cassius tends to be on a single note of anger till Act II, when we see more of his wiliness. As Octavius Michael Man does a nice job, also doubling as the timid Cinna.