This page is devoted to the Production

Julius Caesar.







Click on an image to zoom in and view at higher resolution. Description Julius Caesar
Production Data
Caesar "meets the press". Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Rick Lombardo
Set Design by Matthew Myhrum
Lighting by Jeremy Kumin

Produced by Brandeis Graduate Theatre Department
Spingold Theatre, Waltham, MA
November, 1999

Julius Caesar ruled in his day much like a 20th Century figure dictator behind the Iron Curtain might have, through a cult of personality as much as by any political philosophy. This production sought to accentuate that aspect of the play by placing the action in such a country. It was reminiscent of the former Yugoslavia under Tito, or Hungary, or perhaps even a larger nation.

One of the great challenges of the production was to make the weather seem to rise up and become a character in the story as the conspirators plotted their assassination.

A particular feature of the set that caught my interest was the floor tiles which were in forced perspective to make the stage seem larger when it was opened up. I gave each tile a separate downlight that could be independently controlled so that in scene transitions a quick movement of squares across the floor could help direct the eye to the shape and location of the next scene.

Cassius seeks her own share of the spotlight which she feels she'll have earned when Caesar has "retired."
Cassius appeals to Brutus sense of civic duty and points out how Caesar the man has come to be more important than any one individual should ever be.
Caesar is looked after in a private moment by his physician to ward off exhaustion from his heavy speaking schedule.
Brutus soliliquizes about taking the regicide matter into his own hands.
A stormy night foretells the mischief Brutus and Cassius are conspiring to commit.
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This document was created September 3, 2003.

This page, these photos, and all other contents are ©1996 Jeremy Kumin. Persons copying them or making other use without permission may be subject to penalties, fines, and in extreme cases imprisonment in the Guest Suite of the Tower of London.