Modern
Theater Review
by BILL WALLIS
Dept. of English
The Theater Department of
the University of Nebraska
presents a compelling
Shakespearean production. It
does not compel through a
passive appreciation of the
past, but through a grappling
with the present. Antonin
Artaud began the concept of
creating the new environment
for masterpieces of the past
when he said, "Masterpieces of
the past are good for the past:
they are not good for us. We
have the right to say what has
not been said and even what
has not been said in a way that
belongs to us, a way that is
immediate and direct, cor
responding to the present
modes of feeling, and un
derstandable to everyone."
The contemporization of
Shakespeare's Julius Caesar as
it is now being presented in
Howell Theater is successful in
almost every respect: it is im
posing, alternately delightful
and horrifying, and, above all,
relevant.
The time in which the action
occurs might be anytime
between 1933 and the present.
Never expect less
than the best
Always choose
Keepsake
Choose
Wisely
Choose
Keepsake
Guaranteed, registered
and protected against loss.
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PAGE 6
Caesar
Mills as Brutus
The scene is modern Rome and
central Italy. "Standard"
Shakespearean characters have
acquired startling new
perspectives Mark Antony,
for example, shares many
characteristics with pop singer
Tom Jones in manner and
dress. All characters appear in
modern street dress and war
uniforms.
Part of the effectiveness of
the production is the result of
employing what is known as
"total theater" or "en
vironmental theater." The en
vironment of the play gives a
sense of adventure, and ceases
to be merely a backdrop for
action. The audience enters the
theater and takes its perspec
tive as part of a new world; it
Is literally surrounded by the
set and action of the play.
In Howell Theater ramps
I
Tebo as Cassius . . . "conniving and nefarious."
L
In the BaseMur Center
Now appearing:
HT SNOW95
From Hollywood
2574 Baseline Road
is delightful, horrifying
"strong, gentle and dedicated."
have been constructed through
the center of the seating, and
much of the action occurs in
the aisles. Most entrances are
made from the theater lobby.
The audience must turn and
watch on all sides to follow and
participate in the action.
Other innovations, stylistic in
nature, are important: the bulk
of the play may be seen as a
flashback, because all the bat
tle scenes of Act V are
portrayed first in the sculpture
gardens of Sheldon Art Gallery.
Caesar's murder and the ensu
ing scenes are closely covered
by hidden T.V. cameras and
monitored to sets which sit in
easy view of the audience, so
that one can see a scene from
three different angles without
stirring from his seat.
Certain dramatic elements of
a Shakespearean play cannot
1
The
j
THE NEBRASKAN
be radically altered with suc
cess, however. One of these is
the magnificent poetry which
characterizes his dramas. And,
although in the present pro
duction much slang and collo
quialism is employed in
transitional moments, and
sometimes even within longer
speeches, the language remains
basically that which Shakes
peare gave us.
Where substitutions are
made, they do not distort the
dramatic purpose or artistic
quality of the language usage:
good poetry is left good poetry.
The speeches of Cassius and
Antony testify to this. These
substitutions generally help the
audience to understand the
context in which the lines were
given.
Some characterizations have
changed little since their crea
tion. Three such characters in
Julius Caesar are Brutus,
Cassius and Caesar. Brutus is a
strong, wise and valiant war
rior and stateman, who joins
the conspiracy against Caesar
because he believes it to be for
the general good. Dana Mills'
portrayal of Brutus is that of a
strong, gentle and dedicated
man, whose sincerity and
warmth make it understan
dable that he is loved and
respected by all those who
know him, including Caesar.
Technically, Mills' body at
titude often somewhat belies
the sense of his charac
terization; he "poses." He
brings, however, an enormous
believability to the central
character of the play.
The fiery, unstable Cassius is
played to the hilt (no pun in
tended) by Mitch Tebo. The
conniving and somewhat
nefarious side of Cassius is
clear throughout the play, yet
he is human enough for our
sympathies to be fully with him
at the end. One could desire
more control in T e b o s
performance, however; often
there is too much fire and not
enough ice.
Steve Gaines' portrayal of
Caesar offers all the honorable
conceit possible, and leaves no
suspicion but that Caesar's
great vanity plays no small
, role in the incurrence of his
death.
DSMEIEIK
BOULDER'S FINEST
3.2 NIGHTSPOT
ENTERTAINMENT AND DANCINC:
Friday afternoon F.A.C. 3-5:30 P.M.
After the game Saturday.
At 8:00 P.M. nightly.
WEDNESDAY,
The most challenging role of
the play was entrusted to Bill
Szymanski. His Antony Is m o d
in every respect. The funeral
oration of Antony is the high
point of the production: it is a
moaning, swinging, screaming
three-dimensional lament for
the dead Caesar (who lies in
the center of the audience
throughout the scene).
Microphone in hand, Antony
stalks the audience and rouses
them to a fever-pitch of
mourning excitement. In
curious contrast to the ex
cellence of the scenes surroun
ding Caesar's death is the
rather affected, mechanical
reading Szymanski gives to
speeches in other scenes.
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Szymanski as Antony . . .
"rouses the audience to
fever pitch."
Technically, the show is ex
tremely complex and Set and
Lighting Designer - Technical
Director Jerry Lewis and his
crews are to be complimented
on a superb job. Costuming by
Royal Eckert compliments the
production, which was created
under the aegis of William
Morgan.
In light of the brilliance of
design and execution of all of
the elements of theater in this
highly experimental and ef
fective production of Julius
Caesar, area theater viewers
have reason to expect more
innovative and exciting pro
ductions at Howell Theater,
and I suspect that their expec
tations shall not be disap
pointed. OCTOBER 28, 1970
