Lack of nuance hurts small-scale “Julius Caesar”

With a plot centering on the concentration of state power into the hands of a megalomaniac, all while the hoi polloi is easily manipulated by the powers-that-be and the threat of civil war looms, the timeliness of staging Julius Caesar in these United States is obvious. (Now, if only our Senate would take our resident megalomaniac down….)

So I wish I could recommend Long Beach Shakespeare Company’s current production. Alas, a lack of nuance leaves this show wanting.

Recently returned from a victorious military campaign that left him as Rome’s undisputed leader, Caesar (Trevor Hart) is the darling of the masses. Fearing that Caesar wants to be dictator rather than keep Rome a republic, a group of senators fret about what should be done. Chief among them are Cassius (Giovanni Navarro), who is also motivated by personal enmity; and Brutus (Dylan J. Simpson), who loves Caesar but loves Rome more. 

In presenting this material, director Glenn Kelman has tacked away from subtlety. Although casting of the main roles is probably good, the performances lack the nuance that Shakespeare has written into the characters. One of the most egregious examples is Antony’s (Dominic Ryan Gabriel) speech at Caesar’s funeral, which should be full of slyness but instead is all bombast.

Stylistically, this production is more Greek than Shakespearean tragedy, a melodramatic leaning furthered by curious choices like giant musical cues to emphasize a couple of stabbings. Then there are pesky details, such as when Cassius yells “here is my naked breast” (offering to let Brutus kill him) without so much as having unstrapped his breastplate, or when Brutus asks “Why did you cry out, sirs, in your sleep?” when neither of the sirs made so much as a peep.

There’s also a problem of scale. Spatial and monetary constraints always push Long Beach Shakespeare Co. toward minimalism, but that doesn’t have to be a problem. At times — such as last year’s fantastic production of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House — they even come up with solutions so good that their limitations are not shortcomings. But this hyper-minimalist Julius Caesar almost always feels too constrained, too small. A happy exception is the crowd scenes, which suffice due to the simple gusto of the ensemble.

Although this production is not an ideal way to engage with Julius Caesar for the first time, those unfamiliar with the text will still have fun finding just how many phrases/lines are recognizable: “it was Greek to me,” “Beware the ides of March,” “Cry ‘Havoc!’ and let slip the dogs of war,” “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears,” “This was the most unkindest cut of all,” “Et tu, Brute?” — there is no play that better reveals Shakespeare’s lasting impact on the English language.

Julius Caesar at Long Beach Shakespeare Company

Times: Fri–Sat 8:00 p.m., Sun 2:00 p.m.
The show runs through February 7.
Cost: $21.50 to $31.50 (including fees)
Details: (562) 997-1494; LBshakespeare.org 
Venue: Helen Borgers Theatre, 4250 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach