Cast chat: ‘Julius Caesar’ at The Studio@620

“Beware the Ides of March.” So sayeth a soothsayer in Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, warning the imperious Roman emperor that something not-so-good would happen on March 15.

A new production of Julius Caesar gets rolling at The Studio@620 March 12 and will, in fact, be on stage on the very day Ceasar was warned about (it runs Thursdays-Sundays, through March 22).

This is a play, first performed in 1599, dramatizing events that occurred in the year 44 BC. But the central themes of Julius Caesar – power, corruption, conspiracy and political assassination – are still very much with us.

“We decided to set it maybe ever-so-slightly in the future,” explains director Kristin Clippard. “It’s set in the world of corporate industry. So the Roman Republic of ye olde days has become the Roman Republic, Inc. Our leaders are working for a weapons system company, and they are having an internal battle, if you will, and struggle for leadership.

“The ambition to rise to the top overtakes, and some of these leaders make unfortunate choices. Or great choices, if you’re looking at it from their point of view.”

Roxanne Fay’s adaptation is performed by an all-woman cast, which, perhaps surprisingly, hardly changes the dynamics of the power play that’s central to the story.

None of the dialogue has been altered. No he/she pronouns were changed. It’s Julius Caesar as nature intended, as the Bard put pen to paper. And as with most of his plays, the story works anywhere, any time, in any situation.

Although the two female characters have been expunged from the script.

“Although they have beautiful words – Portia’s monologue is actually quite famous – ultimately both of their voices, in the ears of their husbands, become a buzzing that they dismiss,” Fay says. “The women are dismissed.”

Brutus (Roxanne Fay), left, and Caesar (Sara Nower) in rehearsal.

The four central characters remain Caesar (Sara Nower), Brutus (Roxanne Fay), Cassius (Robin Gordon) and Marc Antony (Alexa Perez).

There was enthusiasm and expectation in the theater community “even before it was cast,” Perez reveals. “The idea of taking a story that is specifically in the bodies and the voices of men, and giving it to a female voice and seeing what that does for such an iconic story … people were excited about the fact that this hasn’t really been done in our area – at least as far as I know. What a cool opportunity to get to be part of something like that.

“And I think that was the energy that brought us all together quite quickly in this space. In bringing these characters to life, there was a lot of play. And that was really cool.”

“It is tapping,” Fay says, “into emotions, actions, points of view that are traditionally identified as male characteristics: Aggression. Ambition. Greed. Violence. Anger. Those are very male-centric labeled emotions. So we’re tapping into parts of ourselves that are not soft – although of course, men have soft spots – but the parts of ourselves that we, as women, are often sitting on.”

Clippard’s production has been in daily rehearsal for three weeks. Although the cast is made up of local veterans, it’s Jen Casler’s first foray into Shakespeare. She’s playing Decius, and other roles.

“It gets significantly easier when you have people acting it out in front of you, putting emotions into it,” the actress recalls, “when you can actually see it in person. It makes understanding it a lot easier when you’re not focusing on the exact words of it but the entire picture, and the emotion behind it.”

Offers Jemier Jenkins (Casca and other roles): “Being a southern debutante, I had to work hard at first,” she laughs. “But now in my career I understand the language.

“I like that we’re bringing it into our world. So many times, people are able to distance themselves from certain conversations about women in our society. When you conceptualize it and make it more contemporary – everybody’s worked in an office – you shorten the distance.”

Jada Griffin, who plays the all-important Soothsayer and others, confirms that the bond has strengthened between the women, the actors, the friends.

Intense rehearsals will do that, but there’s more: “I do love working with people who all have different perspectives on the world, but somehow come together and perfect this one idea,” Griffin says. “And put it in front of a lot of others.”

Offers Jenna Jane (Lucius): “I’ve never felt safer doing fight choreography than with this group of women. We can all trust that we’re looking out for each other’s safety. This show is the definition of a team sport.”

Robin Gordon (Cassius) and Fay-as-Brutus.

Says Robin Gordon (Cassius), “What I am learning here, and taking away, is that this is a story about government, about politics, about power, but it’s also a story about humans. And in a way, it doesn’t matter if you are ambitious, noble, manipulative, good, bad, male, female, it doesn’t matter. We are all humans, and because of that we cannot fully appreciate the consequences of our actions. Only the Soothsayer can see the future.

“Life is going to go on – people will rise, people will fall, and that’s just the human condition.”

And Sara Nower is enjoying portraying Caesar, the top-of-the-heap ruler of the empire. “Even though he’s pompous, there’s a human side to him,” she says. “Sometimes he’s quite reasonable. I guess it’s calling out all my inner pompous ass-ness to play this character.”

For tickets and showtimes, visit The Studio@620 website.