It has been almost two years since this critic checked in on Milwaukee Shakespeare, a relatively young troupe that stages several plays a year within the local university's mainstage theater. What a difference time has made! The company, under a new artistic director and with a slate of more experienced directors, designers and cast members, has surged forward with the speed of Shakespeare's Ariel. Currently, they have tackled Julius Caesar, a not-uncommon choice in an election year (no matter that the presidential election was in 2004). Although the play presents challenges, as do all of Shakespeare's plays, the result is worth viewing. And although the staging and productions elements are superb (more on this later), the chief improvement is in the consistency of the acting and the smoothness of the narrative. Anytime one mixes Equity and near-Equity actors with college students, there is bound to be unevenness.
But director Eleanor Holdridge has clearly put her emphasis on honing the talents of the younger cast members. One might have wished she had done the same with Julius Caesar. Jim Tasse seems too low-key for one hailed as, "the mighty Caesar." Although he plays a likeable fellow, Tasse does not convince us that his death robs Rome of a memorable leader. Likewise, Michael Milligan gives us an unusual Marc Anthony. Built more like a swimmer than a Superman, Milligan doesn't physically resemble a superior athlete. Further, he chooses to emphasize the slippery side of his character. One is reminded more of Iago in Othello than of the physically impressive Marc Anthony. Yet Milligan does a nice job with his character's famous, "friends, Romans and countrymen" speech at Julius Caesar's funeral. In this scene, among others, Shakespeare demonstrates how quickly a mob can shift from one viewpoint to the opposite.
More impressive are Aled Davies as Brutus, Joe Foust as Caska and Conan McCarty as Cassius. Without strong performances by Brutus and Cassius, the second act of Julius Caesar cannot maintain its momentum. Both actors keep the play on track here. For his part, Foust delivers such a wonderful, vivid introduction to the character of Casca that the audience immediately connects with him. Shakespeare confines the two women in Julius Caesar to relatively minor roles. However, Mary MacDonald Kerr is far more memorable as Portia than the one-note performance Laura Gray gives as Caesar's wife, Calphurnia.
This production has been updated to contemporary times. Modern-day dress is highlighted by an array of glorious suits (provided by an upscale local men's store). Furniture has been minimized to a few essential pieces in black leather and chrome. This draws more attention to the commanding backdrop, which seemingly borrows elements from the Third Reich. In any case, it evokes a military flavor.
Two towers flank an enormous brushed steel grid that encloses frosted glass panels. This allows the audience to see figures behind the set (as if in a fog). The effect is striking, and set designer Kris Stone deserves tremendous credit for producing such a masterpiece on a limited budget. The frosted panels allow for fabulous lighting effects as well. When the play's characters talk about all sorts of strange natural events witnessed in the night prior to Caesar's death, the audience clearly senses their anxiety through the sound and lighting
effects. Although this production has been trimmed to 2 hours and 30 minutes, one senses that nothing vital has been lost.
