THEATRE 1331 COLLABORATION

PROJECTThe Life and Death of Julius Caesar

Daryl Paid, Nigel Bologna, Bisiriyu Onashokun

DIRECTORDaryl Paid

• The script I have chosen to direct would be Shakespeare's The Life and Death of Julius

Caesar.

• As a group, and as a director, I suggested that we do Julius Caesar since it is a well

known play by Shakespeare and has many unique factors in terms of costume design,

theme, set design, and lighting.

• While reading over the script, the play involves the fear or struggle of change.

However, due to the way the script was written and how the

characters spoke it can be confusing at times to understand the

dialogue when viewing the play for the 1st time.

CHOOSING A SCRIPT

CHOOSING A SCRIPT: CONTINUED

• While the script for Julius Caesar can be at times incomprehensible I do not plan on

changing what the actors say when they are in character. I plan on keeping the dialogue

the same in order to add to the depth and originality of the play.

• The way the characters speak give a clue to when and where the play takes place. In

addition to the way the costumes are designed audience members who know little or

nothing about the play can assume the era where the play is set.

CASTING THE ACTORS

• Choosing actors to play what role is often a difficult job for a director. Factors such as

age, experience, and acting skills are often put into consideration when choosing

actors.

• The actors I would choose and the main characters they would play would be…

• George Clooney as Julius Caesar

• William Fichtner as Cassius

• Russell Crowe as Brutus

• Tom Hiddleston as Marc Antony

CASTING THE ACTORS: REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE ACTORS

• George Clooney as Caesar

• The age of Caesar is similar to the age of Clooney at the time of Caesar’s his death

• Clooney has that type of authoritative stance at first glance. Looks like an actor who can play as a leader.

• His wide arrange from movie genre from comedies to action make him a good candidate since it shows he can adjust the way he acts when playing a role.

• William Fichtner as Cassius

• Fitchtner would fit the role of Cassius because I see him as someone who can easily play a character who deceives or as a character who can plot something evil.

• Already has roles as an antagonist in movies such as The Lone Ranger, The Longest Yard, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Which means he already has experience in being an antagonist.

• Has a serious but convincing face (see picture in previous slide).

• Russell Crowe as Brutus

• When reading the script for the play I had one actor in mind to play Brutus. Brutus, in my eyes is a strong person. Someone with strong beliefs but can be easily manipulated.

• Crowe’s characters in many movies show that he is strong, but also soft. Similar to Brutus.

• I also imagined Brutus to be a big guy. A bit bigger and taller than Caesar. That is why I paired Crowe and Clooney together since Crowe is a few inches taller than Caesar.

• Tom Hiddleston as Marc Antony

• Hiddleston has the characteristics to play an antagonist while also adding compassion and mercy to his character (ie. Loki in Avengers).

• Antony can also be seen as innocent yet revengeful in the play. I believe Hiddleston can nail the scenes that require Antony. Such as the scene of Antony viewing Caesar’s dead body and the

scene of Antony giving a speech to the Roman people.

• While Antony conveys the people of Rome to join him with his speech, I believe Hiddleston can convey the audience with his acting skills as Antony.

THE SPINE OF THE PLAY

• The spine or the primary objective of the play would have to be change.

• The main reason I chose change is because most of the characters in the play act on

change.

• Julius Caesar, although refuses the crown, slowly changes

Rome from a Republic to a Dictatorship. Caesar

also feels that he is different from a human. As if he

has changed into a God. Not only that but a changed

Caesar also has a change in his health. Cassius

mentions the illnesses of Caesar when talking to

Brutus.

THE SPINE OF THE PLAY: CONTINUED

• Cassius also has change on his mind. Although it is believed that Cassius kills Caesar out of

personal vendetta. What he focuses on is changing the way Brutus thinks. Cassius

persuades Brutus to join him and the other men to assassinate Caesar. He gets Brutus into

thinking that Caesar is becoming too powerful and if Caesar takes the crown Brutus will be a

person of little importance and Rome will become a Dictatorship.

• Brutus acts on change. He fears the change of Rome and admits to killing Caesar in order

to save Rome as a Republic. It can be alluded that the friendship between Brutus and

Caesar has changed also. During the death scene of Caesar, Brutus is the last to stab him.

Caesar is surprised and says the famous quote “Et tu, Brute?”. Caesar probably felt betrayed

that his closest friend also participated in the murder. While Brutus believed his participation

in the stabbing saved Rome from Caesar.

STYLE OF THE PLAY

• As director, I want the style of the play to be as close as possible to the way

Shakespeare imagined it. I want the style to be as close to the era (44BC) as possible.

• This being said, I recommended my partners to research clothing and Rome around that

time. The play would have the actors wear Roman type robes and have sandals for

shoes or in some cases walk barefoot.

• The setting would also be in Rome. The set would contain areas that are supported by

pillars. Most of the colors painted on the set would be painted white since Roman

buildings were often white and made with Marble.

STYLE OF THE PLAY: CONTINUED

• The way the play will have a style of Realism.

• As mentioned before, I would like the play to be set in 44BC. The supposed year Caesar

dies. From the clothing to the dialogue, most parts of the play will be acted as if the era

was 44BC.

• While different directors could choose a different style to present the play, I believed that

the original way the play was presented is the best way to present. Meaning, since the

play talks about Caesar, I would much prefer it being set in the past in Rome rather than

set in the future with a similar concept.

DIRECTORIAL CONCEPT

• In addition to the play style being realistic I also mentioned that I wanted the play to take

place where it was originally meant to take place, in Ancient Rome.

• I plan on staying true to the script and the time period of where the play takes place.

• While I did have some thoughts on changing up the way the play is to be shown

(planned on having it based in the present and having the play be based on a business,

Caesar being the newly appointed CEO) I felt this concept would soon stray too far

away from the play so I decided to have the play be made in its original concept.

LIGHTING DESIGNDaryl Paid

PROVIDING VISIBILITY

• Providing the right amount of light to a play is as important to the play itself.

• Providing too little light will make the play dark. Having the play too dark will provide little to

no visibility. Audience members would have to lean forward to make sense of what is going

on and important scenes can easily be overlooked.

• Providing too much light is also a problem. Having the stage area being to bright while the

other area of the theatre are dark will irritate the eyes of the viewers. Many attendants will

have to either squint or put their hands in front of their view in order to filter out some of the

light and compensate for the brightness and contrast being emitted.

• While having too little or too much light is acceptable for certain plays such as a concert, it

does not fit well for a play like Julius Caesar.

PROVIDING VISIBILITY: CONTINUED

• With the way the stage is being set I do not want too much or too little lighting for the audience.

• In order to provide the right amount of lighting, I will use overhead lights to beam down on the characters that

need to be focused on. This will give the audience a clue on who or what to focus on. In some instances light

will not be shined down on extras/background characters which will give out a silhouette effect.

• The spotlight would only be used if there are multiple people on the set at once but only be used for 1 or 2

people that need to be focused on. For example, if Cassius is speaking to himself, the spotlight will be on him.

While the extras are still on set. If Cassius and Brutus are having a conversation between themselves with

extras in the background, the spotlight will be shined down on both of them.

• Even though I will be using a spotlight to add focus, this does not mean the surroundings of the stage will be

dark. The rest of the stage will have a sort of calm lighting to it. This way, if a spotlight is provided it will not be

too bright compared to the rest of the stage and the props can still be viewed.

REVEALING SHAPES AND FORMS

• With the lighting design, I would not want all the lights facing the stage at the same

angle.

• With this method being done, the setting would appear small and compact.

• The lighting would need to add a dimensions to the theatre. This way it would give out

the illusion of a giant background, and would reveal shapes and shadows of props. With

addition to props, and appropriate lighting provided, the stage can appear as if the area

is larger than it really is.

REVEALING SHAPES AND FORM: ADDING DIMENSIONS

• In order to reveal shapes and forms I will set certain overhead lights and onstage lights

at certain angles.

• The angles will provide shadows to the actors/characters and to the props.

• With the addition of shadows the play will have a more three-dimensional look. Which

adds more depth to the stage.

• I will also be adding a curved cyclorama. The cyclorama will add more lighting for the

stage. The cyclorama can also change in color which will add to the mood and theme of

the play. It can even be used to simulate the sky for scenes that require characters to be

outside.

PROVIDING FOCUS AND VISUAL COMPOSITION

• As mentioned before in the previous slides, providing focus and visual composition

helps give the audience members an idea on who to direct their attention to.

• With the addition of a spotlight providing focus on the characters the other stage lights

will shine down on certain areas of the stage.

• The stage lights will have different colors to illuminate the stage itself. The adds color

and tone to the play since a mixture of colors will be used to keep the audience's

attention.

MOOD AND STYLE

• The use of lights can provide the audience with a sense of what mood is to come or what the mood is already

is.

• One specific scene I will use lighting for to set the mood is the scene when Brutus and the other men go in and

kill Caesar.

• When the Caesar is first stab the lighting will change from normal yellowish pigment to a dark reddish color.

• The reason I chose red is because the color can symbolize bloodshed. In which the blood of Caesar was

spilled. Red can also be associated with determination and power in which the men and Brutus were

determined to kill Caesar and transfer the power back to the people of Rome.

• Finally the color can even allude to what is going to happen in the play which is war. Antony plans to wage a

war against Brutus and Cassius since they were responsible for Caesar’s death.

• In other instances of the play, the mood would contain lighting that fits the style.

MOOD AND STYLE: LIGHTING STYLE FOR THE PLAY

• Since the director wanted the play to be in a way realistic the lighting will fit the play’s style.

• During scenes when it is daylight overhead stage lights will simulate the Sun. In scenes

when it is night lighting will also come from the overhead stage lights but it will be dimmed

down on certain areas and lighter on other areas (i.e. areas where torches are located).

• In the scene that involves lighting and thunder, with assistance of the sound designer, the

lights and cyclorama will simulate lightning.

• Short continuous bursts of white-colored lights will simulate the lightning mentioned in the

script. The lightning will come shortly before or after the sound designer's queue for the

thunder.

ESTABLISHING TIME AND PLACE

• Lighting can be used to establish the time and place of a current scene in the play.

• Whenever the time of day is dawn, the lights will simulate as if the sun has just risen. By

doing this there will be a mixture of yellow and orange.

• If the time of day is midday, most of the lights colored will the yellow and the intensity of

the lights will slowly be increased to simulate time passing.

• While if the time of day is going to night, more of an orange light will be used to simulate

sunset, and will fade to an even darkish color when night arrives (ie. A mixture of light

and dark blue lights to simulate the dark of night while still giving a visual to the viewer).

ESTABLISHING TIME AND PLACE

• As mentioned in the slide with mood and style the lights simulating lightning can also

establish time and place since the audience member can assume that since lightning is

shown on a dark stage then the time should be at night and the place is outside.

• To simulate if the time of day and place is inside a building at night torches will be used

to show that the light source is from the torch meaning the sun has gone down. Torches

can also be placed on pillars in assistance with the set designer to add to the

heightened realism.

RHYTHM OF VISUAL MOVEMENT

• When changing between different scenes and rearranging the props that need to be added

or removed on the stage, fading of the lights is a must.

• When scenes are being changed I plan to have the lights fade towards darkness in order to

give the stage crew time to rearrange the props.

• Since there are many scenes in the play, I do not plan on always using light fading as a way

to transition scenes. At some scenes the light will just be dimmed down in order to represent

a change in scene.

• The light fading to darkness also represents a change in scene but will used only after key

parts of the play. The fade will have audience members thinking what will happen next and

will wonder if this next scene is when Caesar perishes?

REINFORCING THE CENTRAL IMAGE

• While there are many different ways of using light to establish a central image, I do not

plan on overusing what light is needed.

• The light will create visual for the audience. Giving the viewer an oversight for the

characters and the set.

• Light will also be used to establish what time is taking place. Dark bluish light will

represent night while light yellowish will represent day.

• Fades will also be used to represent changes in scenes and will also give audience

members time to think of the future actions each character will commit.

COSTUME DESIGNNigel Bologna

STYLE OF THIS PLAY

THE STYLE OF THIS PRODUCTION.

• Ancient Roman style was the way they dressed during this era.

• Roman men generally wore two garments, the tunica and the toga. The tunica was a short woolen under garment with

short sleeves. Roman women also wore tunica in much the same fashion as the men.

• All togas were not the same and each distinctive type could mark a Roman's societal status or title. There are many

types:

• The toga Virilis was a plain, unadorned toga made in off-white color. It was worn by any adult male.

• Toga Praetexta was an off-white toga with a broad purple border. This toga was reserved for Senators or Consuls

• Toga Pulla was a dark toga worn strictly in times of mourning.

• Toga Candida was an artificially whitened toga worn by candidates for political office.

• And the last type of toga was the Picta which was a special all purple toga embroidered with gold thread worn by a

Roman general during a triumphal parade. Julius Caesar later adopted it as part of his regular dress and the emperors

followed suit by using this type during many state occasions.

EXAMPLES OF THE TOGAS.

HISTORICAL PERIODStarted with the rise of the Roman Empire

Julius Caesar (100–45 BC)

This play setting is in Rome itself.

The assassination of Julius Caesar was the

result of a conspiracy by many Roman

senators. Led by Gaius Cassius Longinus

and Marcus Junius Brutus, they stabbed

Julius Caesar to death in a location

adjacent to the Theatre of Pompey.

NATURE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS

• Caesar –A great Roman general and senator, recently returned to Rome in triumph after a successful military

campaign. Caesar’s relationship with Brutus was extremely close as if they were brothers. Brutus worries that

Caesar intentions are dictatorship over Roman republic. Mark Antony was close to Caesar, he was the one who

offered him the crown but Caesar refuses. Since Caesar’s social status is similar to that of a Dictator his robes

will consist of red and white fabric, being unique compared to other characters.

• Cassius – Caesar feared Cassius because of the constant plots against Caesar. Cassius sees Brutus as an ally

because he used him through manipulation to kill Caesar. Cassius did not have a relationship with Mark Antony

but he want him dead.

• Brutus - he sees Cassius has a open minded man, and agrees with the change of Rome. Was also close to

Caesar but favored Rome over friendship.

• Mark Antony – A friend of Caesar. Antony claims allegiance to Brutus and the conspirators after Caesar’s death in

order to save his own life He favored Caesars beliefs and even tried to get him to take the crown.

• Since Cassius, Brutus, and Marc Antony are part of the senate the actors who portray these characters will wear

a white toga similar to that of Toga Praetexta

MINOR CHARACTERS• Calpurnia – She tries to warn Caesar against going to the senate on the Ides of

March. She even experienced horrible nightmares of Caser dying and not listening to

what she told him.

• Casca – Is a public figure who is against Caesar’s rise to power. He feels his

intentions for turning down the crown several times was only to get people believing

that he had no personal ambition.

• Cicero - A Roman senator known by his oratorical skills and he speaks at Caesars

triumphal parade. This caused Cicero death by the order of Octavius, Antony and

Lepidus.

• Octavius – Caesar’s adopted son who was traveling abroad but he returns to Rome

when his father dies. He immediately sets off to fight with Antony to take out Cassius

and Brutus. Antony had no control over Octavius’s movements.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

• The togas and tunics help make the actors/actresses able to change in

between each set. It allows for easy on/easy off between togas.

• The costumes of each actor is very important for the audience. Caesar's

toga can represent a more colorful brighter toga since his social status his

higher than the other characters. The peasants, dressed in dirty, ripped

clothing can represent their social status which is much lower compared

to Caesar's.

• Costumes reflect the way people dressed during their era of time. The

togas give the assumption of the era and time to the audience members.

The costumes hint to the past.

• The fabrics will be that of an ancient one which was worn in Rome ,

clothing made of velvets, furs, silks, lace, cottons and taffeta. Most will be

white and some sparely black colors as well

SET DESIGNERBisiriyu Onashokun

ENVIRONMENT FOR PERFORMER AND PERFORMANCE

THE SCENIC ENVIRONMENT

The stage setting will be in Rome, an empire with large pillars

(not too large, but light enough to be easily moved) supporting

them. Also, some performance in the play will take place on the

street. Which will require set changes.

The background and the stage will be painted white as being

used in the early Roman era. Along with a cyclorama in the back

of the stage to depict the sky and support other lighting.

Based on the time the play, I will recommend the characters use

the original script and take advantage of the props surrounding

them.

Movement will be restricted to the two mention stage settings

above, meaning a quick change in props is required.

The play area is set in such a way that we made allowance for

characters to be able to change costumes quickly, allowance for

crossing behind scenery, and all other spaces needed to allow

for easy movement during the play.

MOOD AND STYLE OF PLAY

The mood of the play will be both a

happy and a sad one. The happy mood

will reflect times when Caesar

conquered his enemies and most of

the people were happy while the sad

mood will emphasis on the time when

he was killed.

REALISTIC THEATER

I plan to make the play a realistic play in such

a way that all the settings will be very much

like their counterparts in real life

The stage settings will resemble that of which

Rome looked like.

Costumes worn will be mostly white long robe

and shoes will be in form of slippers as worn in

the original play and in Rome.

Since the play was set in Ancient Rome, it is

necessary to use costumes such as the

Roman togas and soldiers helmets to show the

time period when Caesar actually lived

LOCALE AND PERIOD

The locale of the play will be just like

how the original play was produced as

well as the period

Majority of the play will be performed

on the street and inside the empire

building. Since many scenes involved

using areas outside and inside

buildings.

The play will show various gathering at

the front of the palace, along the steps

of the palace and also the streets.

THE DESIGN CONCEPT

As the set designer, I intend to stick to the time

and period in which the play was performed to

enable the audience’s understanding of the

play

As mention in previous slide, most of the

materials used: clothing and the stage will be

very close to what was used in the original play

and the intended time period.

I will be replicating the mood and style of the

play to correspond with the original play. The

mood, can be described as an Anxious mood

since both the characters and viewers are

anxious throughout the play. For the

characters, they are waiting for the right time to

kill Caesar, while the viewers are waiting to

see Caesar’s death and the aftermath.

CENTRAL IMAGE

The picture shows the entire visual

concept of the play

The image signifies what the play was all

about.

Julius Caesar shown standing tall after

winning a war and being accredited for it

but he never knew he had enemies so

close to him that were trying to

assassinate him. The two men behind

Caesar look as if they are planning to kill

him. Both looking at each other as if one

is waiting for a signal from the other to

strike the blow.

PLAY COORDINATION

After reading the script, I spoke to the director, costume design and lightning designer to make

sure the set design does not over power other elements in the production.

By making a strong visual statement, I coordinated with the costume designer to get the exact

costumes needed for the play. Costumes that indicate the time period of Caesar’s era, which also

has to fit the characters, and give them easy maneuverability.

The set also needs a bit more focus and special effect due to the time period in which the play

was performed, hence by coordinating with the light and sound designer, we were able to

establish focus, create a mood and decide a style that fit the play.

By coordinating with the director, I made sure the physical layout of the stage was able to

accommodate the required number of characters for the play + additional extras.

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