Julius Caesar Community Events

JOIN US FOR A SERIES OF SPECIAL EVENTS AROUND JULIUS CAESAR!

WOMEN IN POWER PANEL Sunday, November 26, 2017 Studio 210 at the Huntington Avenue Theatre, directly following Sunday matinee 4:30-5:30 PM	By choosing to do an all-female Caesar, ASP is inherently exploring what happens when women are warring against each other for power in the context of a masculine heteronormative political structure. In this post-show panel, we examine the themes, stereotypes, and questions associated with women in leadership/power roles. How do we interpret an all-female world of Julius Caesar through this lens? How does this connect to the politics of our current country? Panelists include: Leena Akhtar, Lecturer in Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality at Harvard University Bryn Boice, ASP Julius Caesar Director Sonia Chang-Diaz, Massachusetts Senator, 2nd Suffolk District Tina Packer, founder of Shakespeare & Company and author of Women of Will: Following the Feminine in Shakespeare’s Plays Moderated by Mara Sidmore, Director of Education Programs, Projects, and Partnerships Free admission. Seating limited; RSVP required. RSVP to lindsay [at] actorsshakespeareproject.org
CAESAR MUST DIE SCREENING AND PANEL Tuesday, December 5, 2017 Emerson College, Beard Room (150 Boylston Street, 2nd Floor) 6:00-8:30 PM	Screening of Caesar Must Die, a 2012 Italian docudrama that tells the story of Italian adult male inmates rehearsing for a public performance of Julius Caesar in their facility. Followed by a dialogue with a group of scholars/practitioners about the concept of a single-sex version of the show, as well as the power of arts education in working with incarcerated populations, whether youth or adults or both. Panelists include: Judy Braha, Program Head of MFA Directing and Assistant Professor, Directing and Acting; Guest Artist, BU Prison Education Program Magda Spasiano, Program Manager, DYS Arts Initiative, Commonwealth Corporation Michael Forden Walker, Director of Youth Programs, Actors’ Shakespeare Project Mneesha Gellman, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Founder & Director of the Emerson Prison Initiative Katie McGoff, Youth Program Alumna and DYS Teaching Artist, Actors’ Shakespeare Project Moderated by Mara Sidmore, Director of Education, Actors’ Shakespeare Project Free admission. Seating limited; RSVP required. RSVP to lindsay [at] actorsshakespeareproject.org
Post Show Conversation Series
Sunday, November 19, 2017 “This was Woman.”	Keja Valens, Associate Professor of English, Graduate Coordinator of MA in English, and Faculty Fellow for Diversity, Power Dynamics, and Social Justice at Salem State University will engage members of the cast in a discussion around ASP’s all-female approach to Julius Caesar. Instead of having women play men, Director Bryn Boice chose to tell the story in a female world. What does experimenting with gender roles do to this typically male-dominated story? How does this connect to our understanding of gender identities and roles today? Moderated by Mara Sidmore, Director of Education Programs, Projects, and Partnerships.
Sunday, November 26, 2017 *Women in Power Panel*	See full details above for this Sunday’s extended post-show conversation.
Sunday, December 3, 2017 *“Establish Caesar as a Queen”*	Michael Jaros, Associate Professor of English at Salem State University, will engage Director Bryn Boice in a conversation around her vision for an all-female alternative universe in Julius Caesar. Taking inspiration from the realm of science fiction, ASP’s Caesar team set out to create a world that is, for reasons unknown, devoid of men. How does this interpretation and the design of the play enhance this all-female realm? How does such a vision for the play inform the text, and vice versa? Moderated by Lindsay Williams, Education and Project Associate.
Sunday, December 10, 2017 *“This Our Lofty Scene”*	Salem State University Professor of English and Shakespeare scholar Jeffrey Theis will present a brief overview of the difference in Shakespeare’s version of Roman history versus actual events in Caesar’s time. He will then facilitate a discussion on the Romans’ reactions to the various political figures in the play, and how we as citizens are moved by various types of people in power. Moderated by Lindsay Williams, Education and Project Associate.
Sunday, December 17, 2017 *“Did This In Caesar Seem Ambitious?”*	Julius Caesar is sometimes thought to be a play with no true villain. Join members of the cast on their closing Sunday as they discuss whether, from their perspective, there is a villain in the story, and how the intents behind characters’ actions are justified.

Youth Julius Caesar Project	Directed by Michael Forden Walker, ASP’s young people are creating a piece of original theater using the story and text of Julius Caesar as a launching point. PERFORMANCES: Thursday 12/14, Friday 12/15, and Saturday 12/16 @ 7:30pm; Charlestown Working Theater. Buy Tickets
	These programs are funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.