LEND US YOUR EARS!
The Dedicated Actors of Young Shakespeare Players East Perform Julius Caesar
The Shea Theater in Turners Falls
Performances are Open to the Public – Admission is Free
Saturday & Sunday May 9 & 10 at noon AND 6pm
The Young Shakespeare Players East ensemble will re-create one of the most important moments in world history by performing, uncut, one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Julius Caesar.
Julius Caesar deals with pertinent themes such as conspiracy, democracy, liberty, corruption, ambition and tyranny. For the Young Shakespeare Players, ages Saturday & Sunday May 9 & 10 at noon and 6pm7-19, immersing in Shakepeare’s Julius Caesar not only involved the study of Shakespeare and ancient Rome, but also an examination into the modern condition, politics and history.
In mid-play, Cassius, who has just helped kill “the foremost man of all the world” exclaims: “How many ages hence/Shall this our lofty scene be acted over/In states unborn and accents yet unknown!” This was a thoughtful and poignant moment in the writing of this masterpiece as Shakespeare looked backward more than 1600 years to one of the pivotal events of history from his own time, while contemplating not only the performances in which he and his fellow actors enacted but, in fact, also looking forward to our time and beyond. The actors of Young Shakespeare Players East feel honored to be a part of this legacy by re-creating their “lofty scene”.
Besides that immortal line of Cassius, you will hear other lines from Julius Caesar that have changed the very way we speak and think: “It was Greek to me…,” “There is a tide in the affairs of men…,”
“The unkindest cut of all…, “Lend me your ears…,” “Cowards die many times before their deaths…,”
“A lean and hungry look…,” etc…
There are two YSP casts performing Julius Caesar, each with 12 actors. Casts are mixed age with performers as young as 7 and as old as 18. Each cast will perform twice and be the tech crew for the other cast twice. Admission is FREE and open to the public, and there are delicious concessions available for sale; all proceeds support YSP East’s scholarship fund. We encourage people of all ages to come to the Shea and enjoy the show on May 9 and 10th to experience this timeless, riveting play.
Delicious concessions will be available. All proceeds will directly benefit the Young Shakespeare Players East Scholarship Fund. So, come hungry! Run time is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with two intermissions. No reservations required.
More About the Young Shakespeare Players East
The Young Shakespeare Players (YSP) East is a non-profit theater program where youth between the ages of 7-18 perform full-length, original works of Shakespeare. Young Shakespeare Players was founded in 1980 by Richard DiPrima in Madison Wisconsin, and YSP East is proud to be the first ‘chapter’ of YSP outside of Madison and to make Turners Falls and the Shea its new home.