The Nashville Shakespeare Festival dazzles Middle Tennessee yet again with a production of Julius Caesar at the Troutt Theater (2100 Belmont Boulevard) on Belmont University's campus. In a production sure to draw a diverse audience due to the presence of a former NFL player and Tennessee Titan, the company delivers on a scintillating performance that will convince many occasional theatergoers to take advantage of Nashville's dynamic theater scene more often. Julius Caesar runs January 12–29 with tickets ranging from $18 to $25.
The political overtones notwithstanding, William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar resonates with contemporary audiences because it sketches out complicated interpersonal relationships in a non-romantic context. Rather than an amorous rivalry, Caesar's downfall results from his power over the body politic, not a female's body. Unlike the vast majority of theatrical works, this play does not allow the spectator's mind to wander easily to a romantic conflict, but rather forces us to confront the conflict on stage as an act of political rebellion motivated by everything from idealistic patriotism to petty jealousy. Director Beki Baker, Artistic Director Denice Hicks, and Producer Robert Marigza's decision to perform the play in an election year in the United States stands as a dramatic plea to audiences to take their role as voters and well-informed citizens seriously or risk allowing the interests of the powerful to run amok.
Baker's staging of the play fits within a larger plan of allowing the relationships between the characters to dominate the performance. The set—designed by Jonathan Hammel of MadeFirst—is minimalist, allowing for smooth transitions between scenes and freedom of motion for the cast while also embedding the play in a space adorned architectural features associated with Roman culture. June Kingsbury's costuming and Anne L. Willingham's light design also provide strong contributions to the grounding of the play in its time and space. Baker's decision to highlight the anachronistic tolling of a clock tower bell through piped-in sound at first seems curious, but certainly contributes to the ominous tone of the performance and calls the audience's attention to the play's timeless themes.
Brian Webb Russell and David Compton's powerful interpretation of Brutus and Cassius lies at the core of the performance, crafting a stunning portrayal of the distressed friendship and tortured loyalty of the play's central pair. Jon Royal and Denice Hicks round out the band of conspirators in the roles of Casca and Decius while also contributing a bit of good-humored levity to a few moments of this dark tale. On the other side, Eric D. Pasto-Crosby certainly brings the flamboyant temperament and impassioned rage demanded by the role of Marc Anthony, always at the verge of general mayhem in defense of his beloved Caesar.
For many in attendance at Julius Caesar, the primary attraction of the play is ex-Tennessee Titan All-Pro running back Eddie George in the role of the title character. George's interpretation of Caesar is solid, but his mere presence on stage gives impressive depth to the production as a whole. As one might suspect of a former NFL player, George towers over the rest of the company and thus portrays the "larger than life" quality that history has attached to the figure of Julius Caesar through his physical body. He brings fascinating qualities to these well-known scenes by allowing the audience to see Caesar through the lens of his legendary reputation. In the climactic murder scene in Act 3, when Caesar attempts to fight off his attackers, we can't help but think for a moment that he just might be able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. A scene that had always appeared—to this lover of theater, at least—like a hopelessly lost cause is transformed into a moment in which we have the opportunity to understand how Caesar had gained his fame in the first place.
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