Flatwater Shakespeare Presents 'Julius Caesar' Sept. 10-27 at The Swan at Wyuka

They practice politics by every means possible. They are men and women consumed by the demands of loyalty, power, and violence.

Their stories will unfold as The Flatwater Shakespeare Company presents the tragedy of Julius Caesar in the open-air Swan Theatre at Wyuka Cemetery and Park, 3600 O Street in Lincoln, beginning Thursday, September 10, at 7:30 p.m. Performances continue Friday - Sunday, September 11-13; and Thursdays - Sundays, September 17-20 and 24-27.

Do circumstances ever justify assuming absolute power? Should laws ever be broken in order to protect the rule of law? Regimes and citizens have wrestled with these questions for thousands of years. In Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare movingly explores the personal dimensions of violent political action, as well as the historical forces at work.

Caesar’s rise to power seems destined to end centuries of representative government in Rome. His opponents must decide whether a political leader deserves to die because he might become a dictator. Even if that death could be justified, they cannot guarantee the kind of leadership that will follow – whether a return to the corrupt and limited republic, a descent to mob rule, an outbreak of civil war, or an ongoing march to absolute rule.

Bob Hall’s modern day production features Brad Boesen as Brutus, one-time ally of Caesar, who must decide whether to turn against his friend and mentor. Nathan Weiss plays Cassius, the sly but passionate defender of the old order. Rob Burt is Antony, Caesar’s underestimated but charismatic supporter. Julie Kinkennon appears as Portia, Brutus’s wife, and Mary Bolin as Calpurnia, wife to Caesar. Dick Nielsen plays the flawed and magnificent figure at the center of it all, Julius Caesar.

The ensemble includes Flatwater regulars Paden Alexander, Justin Baldinger, Tom Bolin, Tom Crew, Scott Herr, Hunter Maude, Larry Mota, Elbert Traylor, and Deb Waechter. The production welcomes new Flatwater performers Mark Bestul, Jeff Tinnean, and Dustin Witte. Costumes are by Kat Cover and sound design is by Stephen Buhler.

Flatwater Shakespeare is in its fifth year as a professional not-for-profit theatre company, bringing to Lincoln audiences the richness of the works of William Shakespeare as they were meant to be experienced – played out by a dynamic ensemble of performers on stage. For more information about Flatwater, go to www.flatwatershakespeare.org."

Dates:
September 10-13, 17-20, 24-27

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Place: The Swan Theatre at Wyuka, 3600 "O" St. Lincoln

Tickets: (402) 473-2897
$18 Adults; $15 Seniors; $10 Students