Shakespeare, Synetic and Scandal Oh My!
Posted by clara / Friday, August 12th, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Whether you’ve been a regular follower of our Theatre Guide & Reviews, or you’ve skipped the shows because of the crazy expensive ticket prices, this upcoming show at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Sidney Harman Hall is for you. Their summer “Free for All” program presents William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” opening August 18. This year, STC is providing an online ticket lottery for patrons who want to plan ahead instead of waiting in the ticket line before the performance.
“Julius Caesar” is a story about the tyranny of politics. Shakespeare’s three leading men: Julius, Brutus, and Marc Antony, become three voices for the various factions in Rome’s government. Though the play deals with a power struggle in the government, it also gives audiences a well-rounded picture of those involved in a government scandal, and the good and bad traits that make up a person’s character.
Dan Kremer as Julius Caesar, Kryztov Lindquist as the Soothsayer and the cast of the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s 2008 production of “Julius Caesar.” Photo by Carol Rosegg.
More than 600,000 people have attended Free for All since its inception in 1991. Artistic Director Michael Kahn says, “One of the major goals of the Free For All is to make Shakespeare accessible to diverse audiences—people who have never been to the theatre, people who are unable to pay for tickets or afford a babysitter, young people, students, people on fixed incomes. They all come to experience the magic of Shakespeare, to see how his words and ideas still resonate with us more than 400 years later.”
“Julius Caesar” was first presented by the Shakespeare Theatre Company during their 2007-2008 season. The timeliness of their “Caesar” re-staging is uncanny; this October, George Clooney takes another stab at directing with “The Ides of March.” This film is sure to have audiences buzzing; with the presidential election season fast approaching, the commentary of this movie will not only offer insight into our slate of candidates but give us a new spin on the age old phrase “history repeats itself.” Based on the play by Beau Willimon, the movie stars Ryan Gosling, a staff member of presidential candidate George Clooney whose life is turned upside down by the dirty politics of running for the United States presidency.
In other theatrical news – albeit more lighthearted news – comedian Richard Lewis is coming to Synetic Theater!
Richard Lewis. Photo Courtesy Synetic Theater.
Lewis is going into his eighth season on TV’s hit comedy “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which has received six Emmy nominations. His character performance in the series has been lauded by SAG and magazines like Vanity Fair. He is performing in Arlington as a part of the Misery Loves Company Stand-Up Tour on Friday August 19 and Saturday August 20. Tickets are $40.
For more information about “Julius Caesar,” visit www.shakespearetheatre.org. For more information about “The Ides of March,” click here to visit their IMDb page. For more information about comedian Richard Lewis, visit www.arlingtoncomedy.com.
–Clara Ritger
Tags: Arlington, Arlington Comedy, Beau Willimon, Clara Ritger, Crystal City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, D.C., Festivous Friday, Free for All, George Clooney, IMDb, Julius Caesar, Michael Kahn, Misery Loves Company Stand Up Tour, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Magazine, NoVA, president, Richard Lewis, Ryan Gosling, SAG, Shakespeare, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Sidney Harman Hall, Synetic Theater, The Culture Gurus, The Game Plan, The Ides of March, theatre guide, theatre reviews, United States, Vanity Fair, Virginia, Washington D.C, William Shakespeare