Today I embarked on another Shakespeare adventure in Ashland at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Getting started about an hour late I made my way up, passing though a lot of hazy smoky country in northern California ultimately getting to Ashland, which at the time seemed to be smoke free. After picking up my tickets and getting settled into my hotel, I headed over for my first play of the series in the Bowmer Theatre.
The first play in my week of theater was a production of Julius Caesar, the second I’ve seen this summer. It was a more abstract staging than the more classical one put on by CoSF. The staging was pretty sparse, representing a decaying Rome. It took me a while to warm up to it in comparison to CoSF’s, but ultimately it got me, particularly towards the second half. The fight/battle scenes were actually very interestingly choreographed, being more like a dance than a fight, initially only showing one side or the other going through fight moves. The ending was very powerful making a abstract commentary on the never-ending conflict and fighting. A good way to start out my week
Trailer
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