The cast warming up for the opening of Los Alamos Little Theater’s production of Julius Caesar. Performances continue Aug. 14, 15, and 16. Courtesy/LALT
Review By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
When I heard that Los Alamos Little Theater (LALT) was going to do Shakespeare in the Park, I automatically thought it would do a comedy. A light-hearted, entertaining tale seemed appropriate for an open air venue. So I was a little surprised when I learned LALT had chosen Julius Caesar. Why, I wondered?
Turns out Shakespeare’s play appears, at least to me, as a cautionary message about current U.S. politics. You think a tragedy set in ancient Rome would be antiquated, covered in inches of dust, but it felt all too real to hear Brutus and Cassius debate about what exactly do you do when your country’s new ruler might be a tyrant.
With everything occurring in the U.S., and around the world, LALT really made a smart choice in performing Julius Caesar.
The cast shows up; speaking Shakespeare’s weighty, complicated dialogue is not easy so every cast member should be commended. I loved the actor who portrayed Caesar and how he basked in the admiration of his followers and the actor who portrayed Marc Anthony brilliantly performed the character’s anguish toward Caesar’s murder and then his uncontrollable rage to kill everybody to avenge his friend. The actors who portrayed Cassius and Brutus also deserve praise. I last read Julius Caesar and watched the play in high school so I completely forgot about their spat in Brutus’ tent and watching these two actors expertly bicker back and forth was a lot of fun.
Multiple actors play more than one role in this production and the decision to wear a uniform white toga while switching to a different colored sash for each role was clever. Plus, watching a political drama with the setting sun as the backdrop added to the whole experience.
LALT is temporarily without a home, the performing arts center is getting a fire suppression system installed, which is one of the reasons LALT took its recent production outside. The decision paid off; watching Julius Caesar on the lawn of a historic building is special.
There is no admission fee to attend the productions for Caesar, but donations are gratefully accepted. The community is encouraged to not only attend a show but to donate, too, and help ensure LALT can continue to tell stories that not only remark on the past but also teach something important about the present.
Julius Caesar will be performed again:
- Thursday, Aug. 14, at 6 p.m. at Fuller Lodge;
- Saturday, Aug. 15, at 6 p.m. at the Hans Bethe House; and
- Sunday, Aug. 16, at 2 p.m. at the Hans Bethe House.
To donate to LALT, visit https://lalt.org/