The FSU/Asolo Conservatory Presents Julius Caesar, Streaming

February 5, 2021 – Sarasota

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory has announced that Julius Caesar, this year’s Shakespeare show typically held in the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, will shift to a digital format due to the still-strict COVID guidelines. Julius Caesar will be available to stream on Asolo Rep’s website from April 7-26, 2021. Jonathan Epstein will direct all of the second-year ensemble in this show. The production will be filmed in student homes, Conservatory studios, and outdoor locations around Sarasota. Tickets are $25, with $10 student tickets, and are available for purchase on Asolo Rep’s website. Tickets go on sale at noon on Friday, February 5, 2021. Directions on how to log-in and stream the show can also be found online.

Et tu, Brute? Betrayal cuts like a knife (pun intended), but when a leader is abusing their position of power, who is responsible to end the reign? Brutus is forced to decide whether to go against friendly personal feelings for Caesar to join a conspiracy to remove the “corrupt” leader from power under the guise of saving Rome. Full of intrigue, allegiance and sedition, this classic, political thriller reveals the passionate story of what we’ll sacrifice for a chance at a better world. 

“No other play speaks to today’s world and the complex interrelatedness of the personal and political, so directly as Julius Caesar,” says director and adapter of the script, Jonny Epstein. “This adaptation makes best use of this diverse and talented ensemble by ignoring traditional gender roles to focus the drama on the struggle between honor and loyalty, between patriotism and self-preservation.” This show is more than political; it is personal, moral, and begs the questions where do you stand and what action would you take?”

Necessity is the mother of invention. When Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar, he never could have envisioned a socially distanced digital production but the Conservatory has had to adapt during the pandemic. Shakespeare in the Gardens has traditionally been a keystone of the second-years’ education and while the shift to digital is somewhat disappointing, it is also exciting in the sense that it offers the students a different experience. Using a combination of technology and tradition, the cast, crew and creative team has managed to create a coherent, passionate and moving event for viewers to watch on their own time from the safety of their own homes. Conservatory Director Greg Leaming had said of the new process, “it’s been challenging to find ways of continuing our training, but this company of second year actors has embraced the challenges and is shining in the work online! Julius Caesarrepresents a wonderful culmination of their second year of training, and a brilliant story that has incredible relevance for us today.”

This socially distanced production of Julius Caesar would not be possible without the creativity of Video/Production Designer Seaghan McKay, Composer/Sound Designer Dewey Dellay, Costume Designer David Covach, Hair and Makeup Designer Michelle Hart, Technical Direction/Production Manager Christopher McVicker, Voice and Dialect Coach Patricia Delorey, Movement Coach Eliza Ladd, and Stage Manager Rachel Morris who wrangles them all.

To learn more about the show and purchase tickets to stream the recorded production of Julius Caesar, please visit asolorep.org/Julius-Caesar. Once you have purchased your tickets, you will be able to stream the show on our website anytime from noon on April 7 through 11:59 PM on April 26, 2021.