FSU/Asolo Conservatory to Tour '80s-Set JULIUS CAESAR This Fall
By: BWW News Desk Sep. 05, 2017
Asolo Rep presents an FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training touring production of William Shakespeare's JULIUS CAESAR. The eighth annual educational touring production will be helmed by New York-based director and Joseph Jefferson Award-winner James Dean Palmer and adapted by Tyler Dobrowsky.
This fresh 45-minute take on one of Shakespeare's most enduring classics will tour schools and community venues throughout Sarasota and the state of Florida, from Tallahassee to Miami, from September 27 through November 20, 2017. There will be a special performance for educators, press, and the public on Friday, September 29 at 5:30pm in the Cook Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts.
Set in the 1980s - a decade marred by greed and indulgence - this fast and fiery adaptation transforms Julius Caesar from Roman politician and general to preeminent Wall Street powerbroker betrayed by his most trusted associates. The consequences of his murder spiral into the streets in a vicious war for control, honor and survival. JULIUS CAESAR endures as a provocative examination of personal responsibility against the backdrop of great political consequences.
Adapter Tyler Dobrowsky is the Associate Artistic Director of Trinity Rep, where he has directed productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Julius Caesar, A Flea in Her Ear, It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Love Alone (a world premiere with the playwright Deb Salem Smith) and A Christmas Carol. Director James Dean Palmer has served as the Artistic Director of Chicago's Red Tape Theatre for nine seasons. His work has been seen at The Goodman, Victory Gardens, American Theater Company, Trinity Rep, and more.
"JULIUS CAESAR is one of Shakespeare's fiercest plays - the stakes couldn't be higher," said Director James Dean Palmer. "This production is set in the 'Greed is Good' culture - a world that, on the surface, is slick, and shiny, fast and opulent. A world of jealousy and envy, excess and lust. A world of financial giants and corporate empires. It's both the perfect playground for this fast-paced, no-punches-pulled production and a treacherous proving ground for Shakespeare's timeless questions."
More than 17,000 students and community members experienced last season's innovative touring Hamlet adaptation. Each performance of JULIUS CAESAR will include a post-show discussion with the cast, and school performances will be supplemented with study guides, suggested activities, and other behind-the-scenes material to engage students before and after the performance.
The entire third-year class of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training makes up the JULIUS CAESAR acting company. The FSU/Asolo Conservatory is a three-year Master of Fine Arts graduate degree program that has been named one of the top 10 actor training programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. During the third year of their training, following the completion of the tour, Conservatory students join Asolo Rep's professional company of actors and perform in Asolo Rep's mainstage season.
"Now, more than ever, it is crucial that we as artists share great theatre and its vital themes, ideas and lessons with our younger generations," said Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards. "Theatre brings our heroes and our cautionary tales to equally vivid life, reflecting common struggles, revealing critical moments of choice, celebrating bravery, and shining light on our fears. I am thrilled that students and community members throughout Florida will be able to experience and discuss this fresh take on JULIUS CAESAR - a story of power, corruption and loyalty that could not be more timely."
CAST:
(In Alphabetical Order)
Dustin Babin.......................................................................................Decius, Lucilius
Andrew Bosworth...................................................................................Julius Caesar
Christopher Carlson................................................Artemidorus, Soothsayer, Lucius
Mary Ellen Everett^............................................................................Portia, Octavius
Anthony J. Hamilton..........................................................................................Brutus
Amy Helms.....................................................................................Calpurnia, Titinius
Nolan Hennelly...............................................................................................Cassius
Aleksandr Krapivkin................................................................................Marc Antony
Colleen Lafeber.................................................................................Cinna, Messala
Amber Lageman^..............................................................................Portia, Octavius
Kedren Spencer.................................................................................................Casca
Wes Tolman................................................................................Trebonius, Pindarus
^ Appearing in alternate performances.SELECTED CREATIVE TEAM:
Director..........................................................James Dean Palmer
Adapter................................................................Tyler Dobrowsky
Costume Designer.........................................Dominique Fawn Hill
Scenic/Property Designer....................................Marlène Whitney
Movement Director.....................................................Myah Shein
Sound Designer....................................................Matthew Parker
SELECTED ARTISTIC BIOS:
(In Alphabetical Order)
Tyler Dobrowsky (Adapter) is the associate artistic director at Trinity Rep in Providence, RI. Directing credits at Trinity Rep include: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Julius Caesar, A Flea in Her Ear, It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Love Alone (a world premiere with the playwright Deb Salem Smith) and A Christmas Carol. Tyler has taught at NYU's Tisch School for the Arts as well as UNC. Tyler teaches in the Brown/Trinity MFA program, serves on the board of Rhode Island Latino Arts and is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers union. He received his MA in Education Policy from Brown University, and studied history, theater and Russian at Holy Cross.
James Dean Palmer (Director) is a New York based director and educator. In 2010 he was awarded a Joseph Jefferson award for Best Direction of The Love of the Nightingale. His work has been presented at The Goodman, Victory Gardens, American Theater Company, Chautauqua, Barrow Group and Trinity Rep, among others. For nine seasons he served as the Artistic Director of Chicago's Red Tape Theatre. He was the assistant to the Artistic Director at Steppenwolf Theatre. James has received fellowships from the Drama League, SDCF, Chautauqua Theatre Company and is a Peter Kaplan Fellow. He holds an MFA in Directing from Brown University. James teaches Voice and Speech at the Professional Performing Arts School in midtown Manhattan. Full resume and portfolio available at www.jamesdeanpalmer.com.
ADDITIONAL PUBLIC PERFORMANCES:
October 20 at 8pm
Glenridge Performing Arts Center
7333 Scotland Way, Sarasota
941.552.5325 or toll free 1.888.999 GLEN (4536); www.gpactix.com
November 8 at 8pm
Florida Theatre Conference at Santa Fe College
3000 NW 83 Street, Gainesville
727.544.8915; www.flatheatre.org
November 19
3pm entry, 3:30pm performance
Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast at Bay Preserve
400 Palmetto Ave, Osprey
Reservations required: 941.918.2100; www.conservationfoundation.com
Current as of 8/30/17; for current listings, visit www.asolorep.org/education/tour-2017.
Tickets for the JULIUS CAESAR opening night performance in the Cook Theatre on September 29 at 5:30pm are $25 and will go on sale Thursday, September 8 at 10am. Tickets are available by calling or visiting the box office (941.351.8000 or 800.361.8388; 5555 N. Tamiami Trail) or online at www.asolorep.org.
Asolo Repertory Theatre is located at 5555 North Tamiami Trail in the Florida State University Center for the Performing Arts. Box office hours through October 31 are Monday through Friday 10am-5pm. Season subscription packages are also available online and by visiting or calling the box office.
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