Theatre Class

Below please find the details for our autumn production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

Our Cast

 

Annie- Julius Caesar, Volumnius                                                                                                        Dominic- First Plebeian, Octavius                                                                                                          George- Lucius, Second Plebeian, Titinius                                                                              Helen- Mark Antony, Volumnius                                                                                            Joseph- Cinna, Messenger, Strato, Third Plebeian                                                                      Irene- Metellus Cimber, Octavius' Servant, Random Plebeian, Soldier (nonspeaking)                                                                                                                              Margaret- Marcus Brutus                                                                                                            Maria- Calpurnia, Fourth Plebeian, Ledpidus, Soothsayer                                                      Rachel- Caesar's Servant, Pindarus, Third Plebeian                                                                    Rosie- Caius Cassius, Random Plebeian                                                                             Teresa- Casca, Fifth Plebeian, Messala

Costumes and Props

We have some red shirts for armor, some sheets for togas, and some daggers that need paint. We also have some very large shirts for pleb tunics.

List of Scenes

Here's a list of each scene we will be performing, what it's about, and who will be in it.

Act I, Scene II:

Summary:

Julius Caesar is confronted by a soothsayer who warns him to beware the ides of March. Cassius attempts to persuade Brutus that Caesar is dangerous.

List of Characters:

Antony, Brutus, Caesar, Casca, Cassius, Cinna, Metellus Cimber, and the Soothsayer. Anyone who is not playing these roles will be part of the crowd around Caesar.

 

Act I, Scene III:

Summary:

Cassius meets fellow conspirators Casca and Cinna and bids them come to Brutus' house.

List of Characters:

Casca, Cassius, and Cinna

 

Act II, Scene I:

Summary:

Brutus concludes that Caesar must be assassinated and joins the conspirators' plot.

List of Characters:

Brutus, Casca, Cassius, Cinna, Lucius, Metellus Cimber, and Portia

 

Act II, Scene II: 

Summary:

Calpurnia warns Caesar not to go to the Senate House. At first he agrees to stay at home, but Cinna convinces him to leave.

List of Characters:

Brutus, Caesar, Caesar's Servant, Calpurnia, Casca, Cassius, Cinna, and Metellus Cimber

 

Act II, Scene IV:

Summary:

Portia sends Lucius to the Senate House and speaks to the Soothsayer.

List of Characters:

Lucius, Portia, and the Soothsayer

 

Act III, Scene I:

Summary:

The conspirators assassinate Caesar. Mark Antony arrives and Brutus agrees to let him speak at Caesar's funeral. 

List of Characters:

Antony, Brutus, Caesar, Casca, Cassius, Cinna, Metellus Cimber, Octavius' Servant, and the Soothsayer 

 

Act III, Scene II:

Summary:

Brutus and Antony give their respective speeches. The people of Rome are so inflamed by Antony's speech that they leave the funeral to drive the conspirators from the city.

List of Characters:

Antony, Brutus, Caesar (dead), First Plebeian, Second Plebeian, Third Plebeian, Fourth Plebeian, Fifth Plebeian, and Random Plebeians. Everyone who is not playing Antony, Brutus, or Caesar will be in the crowd as either a numbered plebeian or a random plebeian. Numbered plebeians have lines; random plebeians just shout and react to the speeches. 

 

Act IV, Scene I:  

Summary:

Antony, Lepidus, and Octavius discuss who must die in their proscriptions. When Lepidus leaves, Antony proceeds to mock him. 

List of Characters:

Antony, Lepidus, and Octavius

 

Act IV, Scene II: 

Summary:

Brutus and Cassius begin to argue, but Brutus suggests they take their disagreement away from the eyes of their armies.

List of Characters:

Brutus, Cassius, Lucius, Messala, Pindarus, and Titinius.

 

Act IV, Scene III:

Summary:

Brutus and Cassius argue, but are eventually reconciled. They decide to proceed to Philippi to fight the armies of Antony and Octavius. Brutus is visited by the ghost of Caesar.

List of Characters:

Brutus, Caesar (ghost), Cassius, Messala, and Titinius

 

Act V, Scene I:

Summary:

Antony, Brutus, Cassius, and Octavius meet to exchange insults. Brutus and Cassius say their last goodbye.

List of Characters:

Antony, Brutus, Cassius, Messala, Octavius, Pindarus, and Titinius.

 

Act V, Scene III:

Summary:

Cassius, believing his friend Titinius to be dead, kills himself. Titinius, upon finding Cassius' body, also commits suicide.

List of Characters:

Brutus, Cassius, Messala, Pindarus, Strato, Volumnius, and Titinius

 

Act V, Scene V:

Summary:

Brutus, his army defeated and his friend Cassius dead, kills himself. Antony and Octavius are victorious.

List of Characters:

Antony, Brutus, Messala, Octavius, Strato, Volumnius

 

Curtain Call

 

 

Weekly Updates

Every week, I will post what we've accomplished so far, and what we will be working on next week. 

August 31: 

First session: Read through Act 1, Scene 2;  Act 2, Scene 2; and part of Act 3, Scene 1.

Second session: Read through Act 1, Scenes 2 and 3; and Act 4, Scene 1.

Next week: In the first session, Helen and Irene will briefly work on the Antony/ Octavius' Servant part of Act 3, Scene 1. Then we'll all work on blocking Antony's funeral oration with the people we have; we'll also review lines. In the second session,  we'll finalize casting and discuss costumes. I'll work with Dominic and Rosie separately, while Annie joins Helen and Irene for the Antony/ Octavius' Servant scene so that they can work on moving her on and offstage. Then they'll add the plebeians for Antony's funeral oration. 

 

September 15:

First session: Maria and Annie worked with me on Act 2, Scene 2, while Irene and Helen worked on the Antony/Octavius' Servant part of Act 3, Scene 1.

Second session: We almost finished finalizing our cast and we blocked most of Act 3, Scene 2. 

Next week: Please keep memorizing your lines! We'll be working on blocking Act 1, Scene 2  and Act 3, Scene 1. Helen and I will start figuring out fight choreography and hopefully we'll have most of a fight worked out for Teresa and Irene to perform for our battle sequence. 

 

September 21:

First session: Teresa and Irene worked on their fight scene with Helen. Annie and Maria worked with me on Act 2, Scene 2 again.

Second session: We blocked all the scenes I wanted to block. 

Next week: We're going back to table work. Now that you all have an idea of who your characters are and what they say, we'll be analyzing their personalities and actions, learning tips for acting Shakespeare, and briefly covering how poetry works. 

 

September 28:

First session: We read through our lines.

Second session: Table work.

 

October 5:

First session: Blocked Act VI, Scene I through the end of the play without Rose and George.

Second session: Blocked Act I, Scene I through Act II, Scene II. We also ran through Act VI, Scene I with Rose and George.

 

October 12: 

First session: Ran through part of Act II, Scene II and Casca's lines.

Second session: Ran through Act I, Scene I through Act III, Scene II.

Next week: I will be gone, so Helen will be leading the group in a speed-through of the whole play (skipping Brutus' longer lines).

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