'Julius Caesar' Adapted for Modern Audience

Author: Laura Rockefeller

During last weekend's Winter Carnival festivities, a show playing in the Hepburn Zoo served as a subtle reminder of the turmoil that continues in the world outside of Middlebury College.

The 20-minute dance piece "IVLIVS," directed by Nick Vail '02, adapted from and inspired by Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar," was presented in two evening performances on Thursday and Friday and a Saturday matinee. The production told the familiar story of Caesar's betrayal in a way that highlighted its relevance for modern audiences.

Vail explained that he wanted to show how the story of Caesar "is not just a piece of history. We are dealing with some of the same political issues today." The story was told without words, using dance, stripped down set pieces and recorded television clips.

The production opened as the haunting strains of Mozart's "Requiem" filled the darkened theater, instantly suggesting that something great yet foreboding was to come.

Vail explained that he had struggled to figure out "what archetypal, classic music would go with this archetypal, classic play" and would allow him to create the appropriate images for his dancers.

The movements of "Requiem" fit this story perfectly, especially the magnificent "Sanctus" under Octavius' self-coronation. The poignant "Agnus Dei" proved a fitting choice for Anthony's discovery of Caesar's death.

There was a great contrast between these royal scenes and those involving the private counsels of Brutus and Cassius, underscored by songs from the contemporary band Radiohead.

The quick transitions from Mozart to the more jarring music was particularly effective in the scene where Brutus, played by Venessa Wong '04, was alone facing the prospect of murdering a man he had always admired. Vail explained that he was inspired by the music because it created a, "beautiful background ambiance." It brought out the conflict raging in Brutus' mind.

Vail explained that he had been motivated to create this piece after the events of Sept. 11, when he felt the need to do something about the chaos that he saw around him. He began to question how he, a young American about to graduate from a Northeastern liberal arts college, could make a difference in the world.

It was then that he thought back to the ideas of political theater he had been introduced to while working on the collage piece "Untitled: The Sounds of Unheard Voices" last spring.

Vail realized that "theater can really influence people's way of thinking," and it was this idea that inspired the last segment of his play. The final scene was a dance between Caesar and the conspirators with television clips from CNN of President George W. Bush and the war in Afghanistan playing in the background.

The piece was especially interesting because the play allowed individuals in the audience to come up with their own ideas about the connection between the two.

Although the lack of words may have made the piece somewhat difficult to follow for those unfamiliar with the story, it was certainly a thought-provoking experience.