Listen: Jamie Ballard, James Howard & Thomas Aldridge Discuss Their Experiences with Shakespeare@ Home's JULIUS CAESAR

Actors Jamie Ballard (Harry Potter), James Howard (Draco Malfoy) and Thomas Aldridge (Ron Weasley) from the West End Production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child talk about their experience in the all free Shakepeare@ Home radio plays in a new video.

Check it out below!

Directed and adapted by Sean Hagerty, the fourth and final episode of Julius Caesar launches Monday, March 15th at 7PM EST ("The Ides of March"). All of the episodes of Julius Caesar, approximately 30-40 minutes long will be available indefinitely at NO COST at www.shakespeare-at.com Free and also available on that site are Shakespeare@ Home's previous radio productions of Richard II and The Tempest. The performances are available as well on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, and Stitcher. It should be stressed that these productions are not just readings of the plays but complete sonic experiences filled with music and imaginative, sophisticated sound effects.

Mr. Ballard who plays Mark Anthony and James Howard who plays Metellus Cimber chat with fellow Harry Potter and the Cursed Child UK cast member Thomas Aldridge who starred in the previous Shakespeare@ Home production of The Tempest. Jamie Ballard and James Howard share the platform with other distinguished actors from Broadway, London and the New York Stages.

Produced by Jersey City's Shakespeare@, Julius Caesar is the third radio play of their season, produced and adapted by Artistic Director Sean Hagerty. The radio play features original music and sound design. Hagerty crafted the production into four weekly episodes and partnered with the Emmy-winning team at Sonic Designs to capture the lost art and thrill of radio drama all without leaving the confines of quarantine. The company released their first two 'radio' plays of the season Richard II and The Tempest for their newly created Shakespeare@ Home audio series in 2020.

In order to best serve audiences in these uncertain times, Shakespeare@ has specialized, for now, on reviving radio drama and programming with Shakespeare@ Home. The cast also features Ashlie Atkinson (Mr. Robot, BlacKkKlansman) as Portia, Jonathan Forbes (Amazon's Catastrophe) as Casca, Thia Stephan (Gotham) as Calpurna and Aria Shahghasemi (CW's Legacies) as Octavius. Rounding out the rest of the cast are Mark Torres,, Francis Mateo, and Mark J. Quiles.

Julius Caesar is one of Shakespeare's best known and most often quoted plays, chronicling the political and moral crisis of Brutus and his fellow conspirators as they plot to murder Caesar to prevent a dictatorship. First performed in 1599, this timeless play examines the razor-thin line between power and corruption, duty and ambition, and the perils of a state divided.

Shakespeare@ was founded to deliver accessible interpretations of classic works with a focus on international and cross-cultural exchange. Its live performance debut, a lush 2019 production of Hamlet starring Jonathan Forbes, garnered rave reviews and was hailed as "theatrical perfection," selling out its run at Grace Church Van Vorst in Jersey City. Hagerty says, "After our 2020 season was lost, we re-structured our format to continue productions, employ artists, and serve our mission." He conceived the all-sonic performance project, Shakespeare@ Home, to recapture the great heyday of serialized radio drama of the 1930's and 40's. The first two productions, Richard II and The Tempest received accolades from critics and audiences alike.

Artistic Director Sean Hagerty views the play as incredibly timely, explaining "In our current fractured, hostile, and divided discourse, I have always felt the play particularly resonant. But in the past few months alone, as we have watched our nation slip perilously close to the cliff-edge of democracy, I can think of few better plays that cry out to be heard."

In addition to launching their third no cost all-audio drama, Shakespeare@ has partnered with Robert Young, the former Director of Education at the world-renowned Folger Shakespeare Library and a team of educators, to launch their Education Initiative with dynamic, multi-media study guides to accompany each of their radio plays. Featuring activities and lesson plans designed to be used in a classroom or virtual setting, the guides feature cast and crew interviews, with in-depth audio and video tracks highlighting different aspects of the play, the artistic choices, and history. These study guides are free to schools and qualifying educational institutions. For more information visit the website or email education@shakespeare-at.org.

Julius Caesar features original music composed by Joan Melton with sound design by the Emmy-winning team of Dan Gerhard and Ellen Fitton of Sonic Designs. Justin Goldner is the music producer and supervisor, and casting is by Robin Carus. Sydney Steele serves as the Associate Producer.

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