Julius Caesar (The Public Theater)

“Eustis’ interpretation of the play might just be the most effective Shakespearean production this decade as it links past and future forcing us to engage with ideas that have never hit closer to home. This is never more effective than when we learn that we have been sitting next to actors playing the Roman mob…By having the loudest voices erupt from the audience’s perspective, Eustis is giving power back to the public, reclaiming the theatre as the ultimate forum.” Full Review

"Without a doubt worth your time—and not because the allusions to contemporary politics, though compelling, are particularly seditious, or groundbreaking...What feels first-rate here is not so much these editorial-cartoon interludes as the potent handling of the drama’s tragic dimension...The outstanding Stoll and Thompson contribute mightily to the sense of this as one of the best-spoken and liveliest 'Julius Caesars' in recent memory...Best of all is Marvel who lives up to her surname." Full Review

“Shaved down to a scintillating two hours, this is a mighty gripping production…The performances are uniformly excellent. Stoll does a moving job with Brutus, the cerebral Hamlet of the piece…John Douglas Thompson is his opposite, the hotheaded Cassius…And Elizabeth Marvel lives up to her name as Marc Antony, a syrupy Southern accent putting just the right honey into Antony’s stinging words…It all adds up to the immediacy, the in-your-face intensity of brilliant theater." Full Review

“Oskar Eustis has slimmed down and sharpened Shakespeare's ‘Julius Caesar’ to make a stinging political point: Democracy is fragile and Donald Trump is not the worst thing that can happen to America...This ‘Caesar’ is mind-crushingly good, in no small part because it speaks precisely to our times…It is, perhaps, too on-the-nose; but it is not — as conservative and alt-right media outlets have suggested — a show that glorifies the assassination of the President." Full Review

"Shakespeare never shied away from thinly veiled allusions to his contemporaries...In that sense, Eustis' heavy-handed approach is spiritually a lot closer to the original than any toga and sandals staging...Eustis makes his production feel exhilarating, vital, and just a bit dangerous...The lead players also make these mythic historical figures feel present and tangible...Of course, we must suspend our disbelief in important ways to fully embrace Caesar as a cautionary tale for our time." Full Review

“Eustis doesn’t sand down the subtleties and ironies of the text to score cheap points…The play is there, acted by a strong ensemble. Stoll renders Brutus faithfully as an unshowy, principled bureaucrat, and Thompson has crafted the most noble and righteous Cassius I’ve seen. Sure, Cheeto Caesar is a gimmick born of anger and disgust, but it’s a gimmick with teeth — and one we need in order to probe the ever-widening fault lines between showmanship and ethical statecraft." Full Review

“Regardless of the politics involved, here's the big question: Is it entertaining? The answer: a most unequivocal yes...The performances are exceptionally strong. John Douglas Thompson is a forcefully animated Cassius. Gregg Henry does a mean Trump imitation as the nakedly ambitious Caesar - quite literally. In a twist of casting, Marc Antony is played by the always marvelous Elizabeth Marvel with a decidedly Southern twang. And Corey Stoll's brooding Brutus is most excellent." Full Review

"The colorblind casting that made 'Hamilton' so incredible is amplified by gender-blind casting as well: who knew Marc Antony (played so brilliantly by Elizabeth Marvel) had a Southern drawl? The play gets progressively more immersive and more intense as it goes on...As Roman protesters appear loudly voicing their opinions, many audience members seemingly join the chorus of voices. It made the mere act of sitting in my seat feel dangerous and possibly even subversive." Full Review

"The play is not an endorsement of violence; it’s a cautionary tale about its risks...Although the cast delivers Shakespeare’s verse with remarkable lucidity, the characters are secondary; the focus of this production is on political, not personal, tragedy, and it offers a dark vision of the rise of authoritarianism. Yes, the repeated allusions to Trump elicit giggles of recognition at first. But when the smoke clears two hours later, nobody is laughing." Full Review

"The first half...is great, nasty fun, even if it’s preaching to the choir. To the extent there is a problem with the Trumpification of 'Julius Caesar'...it arises in the second half...It is then that we are faced with the ways that Trump and Caesar never properly scanned, and an aftermath in which that confusion breeds more confusion...To be fair, this is a problem built into the play...The fault is not in the stars, as good a group as the Public has assembled in the park in years." Full Review

"The updating and non-traditional acting assignments largely work out...My only quarrel with this black-and-white concept is it robs the play of Shakespeare’s rich, grey-hued ambiguities...Despite this shortcoming, Eustis has created a stirring and gripping 'Caesar' which barrels along at a rapid two hours with no intermission...This is probably the most political transposition of 'JC' from ancient Rome to a contemporary setting to play on or Off-Broadway." Full Review

"I’m not sure I find director Oskar Eustis’s stylistic choices all that provocative, just obvious...Marvel is exactly that, a marvel with a Southern senator’s drawl with an astounding ability to whip a crowd into a frenzy using every tactic available in her magnificent funeral oration...The look and feel create a sense of dread especially with the parallels being so closely aligned." Full Review

"An intense, thought-provoking production...A number of terrific performances. Most notably John Douglas Thompson...'Julius Caesar' can be difficult to sit through. Though laden with memorable, oft-quoted lines, it lacks the moments of levity so prominent in Shakespeare’s other tragedies, and the heaviness of the political message can drag...But this version moves quickly enough and feels very thorough, making it a solid, well-produced show that should please first-timers." Full Review

"This staging is far less interested in exploring the psychology of Caesar (or Trump) than it is in examining the inner workings of democracy...Bringing these complicated themes to the public for free is a worthwhile cause...Although the Public’s version isn’t perfect, it’s a worthy attempt to bring Shakespeare’s most deeply democratic work into the present, with a lively, contemplative production." Full Review

"In most Shakespeare productions in the park, mob scenes have to be taken on faith, with the same handful of actors scurrying about trying to look like legions. But this surging Roman mob has real numbers, and its fickle allegiances to one demagogic political figure after another makes it genuinely frightening...The Trump analogy doesn’t hold up once Caesar is assassinated...The instigators of violence are exceptionally well cast and forcefully played." Full Review

"The immediate result is that these olden characters from ancient Rome seem to be of our time, speaking directly to us...Eustis heightens the effect by building the production on contemporary performances from strong stage performers...The current Trumpian version is attention getting, certainly, and enhances the drama. The real-to-life links go astray, methinks, once the title character meets his fate on the Ides of March and cedes the spotlight for most of the rest of the evening." Full Review

"A blunt and vital revival that clearly speaks to our own times...These fine actors are capable of rendering the text clearly in American accents, and they’ve been directed to perform truthfully in a contemporary manner...I think some of the topical references were unsubtle; I think I’d have preferred to let the play speak for itself in terms of its relevance to the Trump Administration. But it’s the sort of experiment for which The Public is famous." Full Review

“The performers, and this cast is overwhelming in the sheer volume and consistency of high talent, break past the barriers of forced topicality…Eustis’ topical read might be ill-conceived, but in practice it never sinks into shtick…Marvel’s Antony is revelatory...Cassius (Thompson) and Brutus (Stoll) are performed with profound earnestness. However, both an intense editing of the script compounded by the contemporary read go to undermine the emotional foundation of each character’s journey." Full Review

“Making Caesar a buffoon—a doppelganger for the president who, in all likelihood, is loathed by virtually everyone in attendance at the Delacorte—changes the play's stakes and muddies its intent...This is too bad because, much of the time, this 'Julius Caesar' is clearly, powerfully staged, facilitated by one of the best casts to appear in the Delacorte in some time—and that's saying something…The entire cast scores in roles large and small...This ‘Julius Caesar’ has plenty to offer.” Full Review

"Eustis abandons any pretense of subtlety in a bread-and-circuses approach...Once the Trump lampoon is abandoned, the tone becomes more serious. Corey Stoll is the most centered of the performers...The rest of the large cast is quite strong...It is hard to say how 'Julius Caesar' would have fared without the silliness in the first half of the production, but the cautionary tale against the possibility of anarchy comes through loud and clear." Full Review

"Although the metaphor doesn't pan out completely, it surely makes for one wild and wooly evening of theater...The acting is mostly strong...Whether or not you give a thumbs up—or down to Mr. Eustis on making Trump a stand-in for Caesar, you've got to hand it to him for mounting a 'Julius Caesar' that is larger-than-life and robust. Politically correct or not, his 'Julius Caesar' is sure to linger in people's memories long after its final performance in Central Park." Full Review

"Eustis’ imposing Donald Trump into the proceedings ultimately turns out to be a sour mistake–but not necessarily for the reasons that infuriated Delta and Bank of America...Seeing 'Juius Caesar' under any circumstances is always a worthy way to spend one’s time...It’s a marvelous play...So are they all honorable actors...Marvel is often accomplished...Corey Stoll as Brutus and John Douglas Thompson are especially potent in the post-assassination scene." Full Review

"Shakespeare scored contemporary political points by cloaking them in historical allegories. Eustis demands no such imaginative leap...The production is meant to provoke...A very good production whose singular drawback is that it makes no sense...Even given its rough satirical edge, the pleasures and the faults of this production lie not in the stars but in ourselves: It’s a staging for this age, if not the ages." Full Review

"Eustis isn’t going for subtlety...Populated with actors from no fewer than three of TV’s politically styled dramas, this 'Caesar' builds on anti-Trump asides forced into new children’s musicals this season and addressed in full-scale works like 'Building the Wall'...It’s shocking to see a band of conspirators in modern dress take turns plunging a dagger into the body of a leader so clearly modeled on America’s own...Henry's Caesar blusters and leers with every line...It’s quite a performance." Full Review

"The parallels between the ambitious Roman emperor and our current commander-in-chief are evident in the text. Still, this modern concept, obvious as it is, brings a much-needed immediacy (and a little comedy) to the Bard’s often dreary history play...There’s plenty to praise in Eustis’ casting of the show’s primary roles...Not even Stoll and Thompson can make the play’s final section remotely interesting...You’ll be tired of lending your ears to petty philosophizing long before the final bow." Full Review