A dystopian setting. An uprising in the political world. A tragedy. All these set the stage for Viterbo University’s Student Theatre Initiative project, a rendition of “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare.
COVID-19 has cancelled many plans this year, including theatre productions for theatre students at Viterbo University. But the Student Theatre Initiative set in motion this fall by the Fine Arts Center has proven a successful response to the pandemic, invoking student-led productions such as “Julius Caesar.” Senior stage management major Mallory Topel, who acts as stage manager and producer for the play, speaks for all theatre students’ despair in the wake of Covid-19 when she says, “I figured it’d be a long, long time before I’d be able to fulfill an artistic challenge that myself and so many other artists find themselves in search of. When I heard about the Student Theatre Initiative, I was so excited that we would be able to work with our peers to continue telling stories and making art, even though it looks a little different than it did before.” Logan Jancsurak, a sophomore acting major, notes that he and his fellow castmates were drawn specifically to Caesar because it “is a play that has to do with elections and dirty politics – a perfect story to perform the weekend before the 2020 U.S. presidential election.” He says that it was the obvious choice as they “wanted to find a play that could be performed with masks on, purposefully.”
The show is completely student-established. In lieu of a traditional show, this production is being held outdoors and performers will be masked, as is protocol right now for fighting the pandemic. The original “Julius Caesar” has over 40 characters, but this production’s cast is comprised of 29 characters portrayed by 11 actors. It will be interesting to see what Viterbo’s students have in store for this Shakespearean classic.
Topel has taken on many responsibilities in managing Caesar. Sophomore acting major Grace Reynolds is props master. Lauren Ostrem, senior theatre tech and design major, is the costume designer. The set designer is Emma Leselink, a sophomore theatre major. There has been a guest text consultant, Marissa Ward, involved with the cast via Zoom to discuss Shakespeare’s text. Rehearsals for the cast and crew have been set up as work sessions where they figured out blocking and storytelling themselves. To give the rehearsals structure, cast members rotated through the position of “Rehearsal Company Leader,” who gathers notes from the rehearsal to share with the group. It is evident that this production has been collaborative in the making. The cast and production team have created a positive environment for this performance.
Politics and moral dilemma play the lead role i this story of conspiracy within a corrupt government. Current events led Viterbo’s theatre students to choose this production. Sophomore musical theatre student, Payton Harper, says, “In the wake of a tragedy, like a pandemic, folks tend to run towards leaders who they feel will keep them safe,” which rings as true in the U.S. today as it did in 44 B.C. in Rome.
Another issue in this play is government control. Senior acting student, Calvin O’Connell, believes that “there are definitely some strong themes of nationalism throughout the show.” For example, Calvin’s character, Brutus, has a line asking, “Who here is so vile that would not love their country?”
There may be a few differences between Shakespeare’s original play and this one, as the students are reimagining it to adapt to the safety guidelines and political climate of 2020, but it certainly doesn’t sound as though it will be lacking in entertainment.
The students cannot wait to reveal their final product on Saturday, October 3, at 11:00 a.m. There will be a second performance the next day, Sunday, November 1, at 1:00 p.m. The show will be free for all in attendance.
The audience is required to remain socially distanced and masked. Each family unit attending is asked to bring their own blankets and sit six feet apart from all other audience members. Following the performances, audiences can stay to engage with cast and crew in a discussion about the societal relevance of this production today.
The cast and production staff have worked hard on this production, and they don’t want you to miss your chance at seeing the most iconic Roman figure take the stage. So, get your masks ready and get excited because “Julius Caesar” is coming to La Crosse.
