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joeymichaelsThis is my entry for Week #1 of Season 20ish of ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
therealljidol.
Transcript of Video
I've directed 17 of Shakespeare's scripts - several of them multiple times. The list of plays I don't want to direct (Taming of the Shrew) is long and the list of plays that I haven't directed but still want to direct is pretty weird (several of the histories). One play I've been churning around in the rock polisher of my mind is Julius Caesar. Yes this does imply that my brain is filled with heavy silicon carbide grit.
Julius Caesar is a great three act play told in five acts. The first three acts - culminating in Mark Anthony's great “friend romans countrymen lend me your ears” funeral oration - are pretty great. The last two acts, which follow the conspirators getting defeated by the imperialists, are also part of the script. (Long pause)
The main character of Julius Caesar is Brutus - a conspirator who is genuinely concerned that Caesar's rise to power will end the Roman republic. He's portrayed as being unwaveringly committed to his ethics - to the point of naivety.
According to Aristotle - who literally wrote the book on tragedy - a tragic hero has something called a hamartia. This has sometimes been translated as “fatal flaw” but it's more correct to call this an error in judgement. I would argue that Brutus’ Hamartia is his naivety - he trusts that everyone is an honorable as he is. Spoiler- they're not. Mark Anthony is a bad actor (often played by very good actors) and Brutus’ trust in Mark Anthony's character kind of ruins everything for everyone.
What's worse for Brutus, his desire to protect the republic by assassinating Caesar creates the circumstances by which the republic falls. Cue Alanis Morisette singing about flatware.
But, you know, Aristotle also points out that most great tragic heroes are also supposed to have a moment of Anagnorisis (recognition) / Peripeteia (reversal). This is like the moment where Oedipus realizes exactly who he married and goes from king to exile.
Brutus does have this in Act 5 (after like nine scenes of preparing for battles that we don't see on stage and a lot of bickering with fellow conspirator Cassius) but… it's kind of slight. Caesar's ghost appears to Brutus and Brutus ostensibly recognizes that by killing Caesar, he unleashed his vengeful spirit on the republic. Later, Brutus dies by his own sword, realizing he was not the hero he thought he was, but was kind of the villain here. But, you know, its weak sauce to me. I feel like it has all the emotional impact of saying “whoopsie.”
Like for Macbeth, his moment is “the fucking trees are marching and this dude was born by C section - i am so fucked. “ Othello gets “damn, my wife, whom I just murdered for cheating, didn't cheat and I am so fucked.” Hamlet gets “fuck it you're all fucked.” Brutus doesn't even earn an F bomb.
13 letters (including the 5 major vowels) get to use “an.” 13 (including Y) get to use “a.”
I've seen some very good productions of Julius Caesar and even in the best, Act 4 and Act 5 feel like a huge let down. What to do what to do.
AT THE SAME TIME… there's good reason to produce Julius Caesar right now in the USA since it's about a far right conservative movement using language to manipulate the masses to tear down a more democratic form of government. In Shakespeare’s time, of course, monarchy reigned (sic) supreme so Brutus and his band of conspirators were violating the Great Chain of Being by killing a monarch.
In our times, we're mostly going to empathize with the dudes fighting for the Republic.
This all leads to my idea for staging Julius Caesar in a way that communicates a pro-democracy/ anti-tyranny theme in a manner that doesn't lose steam in the latter half of the play.
Basically, we're going to Time Skip the hell out of this bastard. The scenes will not be played in order - they'll be played in a way that intersperses the “present” events of Act 4 and 5 with the “past: events of the first three acts. For example, perhaps just after we see Caesar's ghost appear before Brutus, we see the scene where Brutus naively lets Mark Anthony deliver his funeral oration - but we see it as Brutus realizing “oh, that's where I fucked up.” Or the moment where Brutus dies gets mashed up with the murder of Caesar so the “et tu Brute” line contrasts with Brutus’ final words of regret.
Maintaining audience engagement maximizes our opportunities to drive home both an anti-tyranny message as well as the cynical commentary about how politics is where values go to die.
I'm probably never going to actually direct this one. It's my white whale - or perhaps my albatross. The rock polisher in my brain has been turning this one over and over in my head for 25 years and I'm pretty sure that what's left by now are simply pretty pebbles.
It would be SO GOOD though.
Or a complete disaster.
Either suits me.
therealljidol.Transcript of Video
I've directed 17 of Shakespeare's scripts - several of them multiple times. The list of plays I don't want to direct (Taming of the Shrew) is long and the list of plays that I haven't directed but still want to direct is pretty weird (several of the histories). One play I've been churning around in the rock polisher of my mind is Julius Caesar. Yes this does imply that my brain is filled with heavy silicon carbide grit.
Julius Caesar is a great three act play told in five acts. The first three acts - culminating in Mark Anthony's great “friend romans countrymen lend me your ears” funeral oration - are pretty great. The last two acts, which follow the conspirators getting defeated by the imperialists, are also part of the script. (Long pause)
The main character of Julius Caesar is Brutus - a conspirator who is genuinely concerned that Caesar's rise to power will end the Roman republic. He's portrayed as being unwaveringly committed to his ethics - to the point of naivety.
According to Aristotle - who literally wrote the book on tragedy - a tragic hero has something called a hamartia. This has sometimes been translated as “fatal flaw” but it's more correct to call this an error in judgement. I would argue that Brutus’ Hamartia is his naivety - he trusts that everyone is an honorable as he is. Spoiler- they're not. Mark Anthony is a bad actor (often played by very good actors) and Brutus’ trust in Mark Anthony's character kind of ruins everything for everyone.
What's worse for Brutus, his desire to protect the republic by assassinating Caesar creates the circumstances by which the republic falls. Cue Alanis Morisette singing about flatware.
But, you know, Aristotle also points out that most great tragic heroes are also supposed to have a moment of Anagnorisis (recognition) / Peripeteia (reversal). This is like the moment where Oedipus realizes exactly who he married and goes from king to exile.
Brutus does have this in Act 5 (after like nine scenes of preparing for battles that we don't see on stage and a lot of bickering with fellow conspirator Cassius) but… it's kind of slight. Caesar's ghost appears to Brutus and Brutus ostensibly recognizes that by killing Caesar, he unleashed his vengeful spirit on the republic. Later, Brutus dies by his own sword, realizing he was not the hero he thought he was, but was kind of the villain here. But, you know, its weak sauce to me. I feel like it has all the emotional impact of saying “whoopsie.”
Like for Macbeth, his moment is “the fucking trees are marching and this dude was born by C section - i am so fucked. “ Othello gets “damn, my wife, whom I just murdered for cheating, didn't cheat and I am so fucked.” Hamlet gets “fuck it you're all fucked.” Brutus doesn't even earn an F bomb.
13 letters (including the 5 major vowels) get to use “an.” 13 (including Y) get to use “a.”
I've seen some very good productions of Julius Caesar and even in the best, Act 4 and Act 5 feel like a huge let down. What to do what to do.
AT THE SAME TIME… there's good reason to produce Julius Caesar right now in the USA since it's about a far right conservative movement using language to manipulate the masses to tear down a more democratic form of government. In Shakespeare’s time, of course, monarchy reigned (sic) supreme so Brutus and his band of conspirators were violating the Great Chain of Being by killing a monarch.
In our times, we're mostly going to empathize with the dudes fighting for the Republic.
This all leads to my idea for staging Julius Caesar in a way that communicates a pro-democracy/ anti-tyranny theme in a manner that doesn't lose steam in the latter half of the play.
Basically, we're going to Time Skip the hell out of this bastard. The scenes will not be played in order - they'll be played in a way that intersperses the “present” events of Act 4 and 5 with the “past: events of the first three acts. For example, perhaps just after we see Caesar's ghost appear before Brutus, we see the scene where Brutus naively lets Mark Anthony deliver his funeral oration - but we see it as Brutus realizing “oh, that's where I fucked up.” Or the moment where Brutus dies gets mashed up with the murder of Caesar so the “et tu Brute” line contrasts with Brutus’ final words of regret.
Maintaining audience engagement maximizes our opportunities to drive home both an anti-tyranny message as well as the cynical commentary about how politics is where values go to die.
I'm probably never going to actually direct this one. It's my white whale - or perhaps my albatross. The rock polisher in my brain has been turning this one over and over in my head for 25 years and I'm pretty sure that what's left by now are simply pretty pebbles.
It would be SO GOOD though.
Or a complete disaster.
Either suits me.
no subject
Date: 2026-09-22 07:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-09-22 08:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-09-22 12:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-09-22 02:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-09-22 03:55 pm (UTC)It was fast-paced, nerdy as all get out, theater-related, and included a 90s music reference. So, basically I am your target audience.
no subject
Date: 2026-09-22 05:58 pm (UTC)But I genuinely love your staging idea. Interweaving the later consequences with the earlier choices seems like it could make Brutus’s realization feel much more immediate, especially putting Caesar’s ghost beside the decision to let Antony speak, or contrasting Caesar’s death with Brutus’s own. It turns those earlier scenes into memories that Brutus is essentially being forced to reconsider once he finally understands where his choices led him.
Also, after TWENTY-FIVE YEARS of mentally directing this production, I feel like “I’m probably never going to actually direct this one” is exactly the sort of thing someone says shortly before somehow finding themselves directing it. 😂 And whether it would be SO GOOD or a complete disaster? I agree: either one sounds entertaining.
no subject
Date: 2026-09-22 07:56 pm (UTC)Also, I have so many personal reflections on Mark Antony, but that's not what we're REALLY talking about here, lol.
Maybe you can stage it one day, Ahab. If "SO GOOD" or "a complete disaster" suits you, and I understand why, then whose to say it can't happen? This IS a great time to stage it; there's so much conspiracy and government corruption right now that I'd personally love to see this.
Also, thank you for the Alanis reference. I can rest happily today. :)
Your voice in your writing is so very strong. It's wonderful to read your words again (the link for the video gave me a "bad gateway error" message, but I plan to go back and try again on that one)! <3
no subject
Date: 2026-09-23 01:58 am (UTC)I look forward to the Tony Nominations and the White House Lawsuits in your future!
no subject
Date: 2026-09-23 06:04 am (UTC):D They can't all be winners, but it would be nice if the individual plays could be of consistent quality within.
Everybody wants to modernize Julius Caesar. Unfortunately, the current political situation in the U.S. happens to be one that really fits. I wish it weren't. :(
no subject
Date: 2026-09-23 09:18 am (UTC)Where are you??
I am intrigued. I say we get all the idolists together to put on this play. Gary can be Caeser.
Also, would you say it's your white albatross?
no subject
Date: 2026-09-23 07:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-09-24 02:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-09-24 11:02 pm (UTC)I don't see how you could've put this much time into thinking about how to make it work and NOT bringing it to fruition. It could be fun! Or madness.
Also, what beautiful mountains are you in?!
Anyway, thank you for sharing this. I love it, video AND extensive analysis of Brutus and making JC work in a way that doesn't bore us all in the end. ♥
no subject
Date: 2026-09-25 05:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-09-26 05:01 am (UTC)Dan
no subject
Date: 2026-09-26 03:42 pm (UTC)You need to get that albatross from around your neck and catch your white whale! I would even try to come see it!
no subject
Date: 2026-09-27 02:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-09-27 02:43 am (UTC)