Julius Caesar

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 Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is defined by its themes of tyranny, honor, and betrayal, not to mention its cutthroat politics, homoerotic undertones, and supernatural omens. It stands out from the rest of Shakespeare’s plays as a complex work that is neither entirely comedy, tragedy, or history, but a dramatically rich union of the three. It is as concerned with the death of Julius Caesar as it is with the wrath of Caius Cassius and the conspirators, the bloody rise of Marc Antony and Octavius, the tragedy in the downfall of Marcus Brutus, and the lives of the everyday people who are caught in the crossfire. At its core, the show challenges its audience to consider the question of Caesar’s tyranny and the morality of his murder. Was Caesar a tyrant? Was Brutus justified in killing him? Was Brutus responsible for the bloodshed that followed? Though Shakespeare offers some thoughts on the matter, he intentionally leaves these questions up to interpretation, instead choosing to depict a cast of deeply human characters driven to extremes by honor, ambition, and envy. 

This production imagines the characters of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar as Caribbean Pirates in the late 1710's, specifically the Pirate Republic of New Providence, or “Rome'' for our purposes. Our story begins when the fearsome and charismatic pirate Julius Caesar returns home, freshly victorious in a civil war against his rivals who sought to remove him from power. Adapting the play to a Pirate setting was a fun and fascinating challenge for us; not only did we find that the play’s themes were enhanced by its pirate setting, but we found unexpected connections as we moved through the script. From parallels between the militaristic and charismatic politics of Ancient Rome and the semi-democratic bureaucracies of Pirate Society, to similarities between Julius Caesar and Blackbeard and how they built their reputations, to Marc Antony calling on the citizens of Rome to mutiny, we discovered that the text took to Piracy as eagerly as an English sailor in 1714. The setting also brought a new layer of understanding of our characters that peaks through in the original text. Pirate Society in the period, much like that of Ancient Rome, had a notably tolerant attitude towards LGBTQ+ identities and relationships in a way that wasn’t seen elsewhere in the world at the time. Not only did this allow the cast to explore their characters’ relationships and find new connections in a way that is unique to the setting, but it also added to our understanding of the stakes of the conspirator’s actions; where Caesar’s death in the original setting throws Rome into another round of civil war, the murder now threatens to permanently shatter the fragile alliances that hold the Pirate Republic together.

The origin of the idea behind this pirate-themed adaptation goes to my friend Percy Langston. We first discussed the concept two years ago and the pitch has not left my mind since. I would like to thank him for giving me his blessing to make his vision my own. I would also like to thank Andy Hindenach for their help in workshopping the concept, Maria Nikolaitchik for listening to my endless ramblings about the pitch last fall, and my Stage Manager, Ryan Lindner, and my Assistant Directors, Rina Haimson and Ema Rajala, for having my back on this project from day one.

Liam O’Donoghue 

Cast

Creative Team

Meet the Company

Maria Nikolaitchik (she/her)

Brutus

Maria is a senior Statistics and Atmospheric Sciences Double Major. This is her second production in MDSP. You didn't see her in her first production, as she was lighting crew for Romeo and Juliet! She's very excited to act in an MDSP production before she graduates. She hopes you will recognize all the love, care, and work everyone put into this production. Maria would like to thank her friends for encouraging her to audition and be part of MDSP. She hopes you enjoy the show!!

Edith Corey (she/her)

Cassius

Edith Corey is a sophomore pursuing a dual degree in psychology and criminology & criminal justice. This is her third show with the Maryland Shakespeare Players, her past roles including Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet and Ophelia in Hamlet, and she is excited to once again be playing a man with a sword. She wants to thank everyone in the cast, crew, and production team for making this production possible. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Logan Delavan-Hoover (he/him)

Antony

Logan Delavan-Hoover could tell you that he's a senior economics major, but then he'd have to kill you. It's highly classified that his previous MDSP shows have been Hamlet (Director), Twelfth Night (Curio), King Lear (Fool), and Much Ado (Borachio), and that this is his fifth and last show with MDSP. Those without top secret security clearance should not know that he's had a great time playing Antony as the demagogue that he is, and examining how to get people to riot against their own interest. He'd like to thank the chain of MDSP leaders over its 15-year history for keeping such a wonderful group going, and he'll miss everyone very much - burn after reading. You didn't hear any of this.

Aidan Owens (he/him)

Julius Caesar

Aidan Owens is a junior economics major. This is his third show with the Maryland Shakespeare players, he previously played Gregory in Romeo and Juliet, and Laertes in Hamlet. He would his family and friends for supporting him throughout the rehearsal process!

Grace Levine (she/they)

Casca

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE Reward: Whatever sandwich she last dropped on the floor. We the esteemed people of His Majesty’s Royal Navy are on the hunt for Grace Levine, First Mate (Vice President, in layman’s terms) of the notorious pirate crew of the Maryland Shakespeare Players. A senior in Electrical Engineering at the University of Maryland, she has been carrying out operations with this group for the last three years, with her most well known appearances being Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet. This makes Julius Caesar her 5th and final main-stage production with the crew and our intel shows that she would like to thank everybody for helping to create such a fantastic show and Logan Delavan-Hoover for giving her the courage to join the crew in the first place. She’s had a fantastic time and hopes that you all enjoy the show!

Julia Atemafac (she/her)

Portia

Julia has played in a lot of productions growing up. Her first play started in the third grade and from there she's done productions every year of her life. This is her first Shakespeare play and she's so thankful to all her friends for their support. She wants to give the biggest shoutout to Daniella, Isha, Esther, and everyone who supported her along the way!!!

Clare Reilly (she/her)

Octavius Caesar/Shanty Singer

Clare is a senior history and art history major, and this is their 6th and main-stage production with the Maryland Shakespeare players. After 3 years with MDSP, you may have seen her in previous productions such as Romeo and Juliet as the Nurse, or Hamlet as Queen Gertrude, and soon, Emperor of Rome. She would like to thank everyone for a wonderful show, and Rina for letting her help with the fight scenes, which really just meant playing with the swords, and her parents for being amazing and coming to every show I’ve done since high school. Enjoy the show!

Nathan Cavaliere (he/him)

Decius

Nathan is an anthropology senior, long-standing member of the Shakespeare Players, and suspected Takahe Bird in disguise. With the Shakespeare Players he has acted in full-length shows of Hamlet (as Polonius), Romeo and Juliet, and King Lear, and scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream (as Puck), Timon of Athens, and the Scottish Play. Nathan has also acted in short plays with the Ghost-Light Company, Muses, University of Florida, and unfortunately, Broadneck High School Dramatics Guild.

Nicholas Sremac-Saari (he/him)

Lucius

Nicholas Sremac-Saari is an American actor and filmmaker. He plays Frank Reynolds on the FXX sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2006–present). He is also a long-standing member of MDSP and is excited to finish his last semester working with such an amazing production team and actors alike!

Katherine Gough (she/her)

Calpurnia/Messala

is a freshman Marketing and Supply Chain Management double major. This is her first performance with MDSP and she is so excited to be performing Shakespeare for the first time since middle school! Katherine wants to thank her parents and her brother Patrick for all their love and support. She hopes you enjoy!

Logan Garvin (he/him)

Marullus/Metellus/Cato

Logan Garvin, a graduating senior, wishes to thank his forever-patient family, his wonderful cast mates, his loving girlfriend, and amazing friends for supporting him these past two years in MDSP. This journey has been unforgettable, and he is glad to present to you Julius Caesar. Enjoy!

Stella Garner (she/her)

Soothsayer/Pindarus/Shanty Singer

Stella Garner is a Sophomore Journalism major. She has no idea who Shankspear is and wandered into the ArtSoc building at the wrong time. When not telling fortunes and stabbing Cassius, Stella enjoys reading pretentious books, writing about reading pretentious books, and roller skating. She thanks all her UMDrumline mates who came to support her and is never speaking to any of the rest again.

Thomas Raff (he/him)

Cicero/Strato

Thomas is a Freshman English/Theatre double major. This is his second show with MDSP, having previously appeared in Hamlet. He’d like to thank everyone involved with this show for being accommodating to a generally insane spring semester schedule. He hopes you enjoy the show!

Reese Bailey (she/he)

Trebonius/First Commoner/Shanty Singer/Funeral Ensemble

Reese is a senior cinema + media studies major in her first (and last) production with MDSP! If you got scammed out of 100 bucks to attend Fright Fest, you might’ve seen her as an evil clown. In her free time, she enjoys crying outside 7 Eleven with a blue Slurpee or having delusions that she’s the next Steven Spielberg. She sends love to her family and friends and hopes you don’t drown in the waters of whatever ocean this play is set in!

Nathaniel Hollingsworth (they/them)

Cinna the Poet/Ligarius/Funeral Ensemble

Nate Hollingsworth is a Junior in Computer Science and Physics. This your fourth performance with the Maryland Shakespeare Players. My previous being Much Ado about Nothing, King Lear, and Hamlet. While sad that many of their friends are graduating, they are glad they got to perform with them over the years. We are sure they will enjoy our performance in Julius Caesar. Almost as sure as you are that the point of view keeps changing.

Alex Bryan-Taff (he/him)

Flavius/Popilius/Fourth Citizen

Alex, known from his videography and other roles on tech crew for Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet, is delighted to join the cast of a mainstage show for the first time! He is very grateful to have a role that allows him to channel his inner bloodlust, and would like to remind the audience that any screams from backstage should be completely ignored, and under no circumstances are they to investigate. He is also very grateful to the director, Liam O'Donoghue, for introducing him to MDSP, and more importantly, for his years of unwavering kindness and friendship.

Laura DeMarco (she/her)

Lepidus/Shanty Singer

Laura is very excited to join her first production with the Maryland Shakespeare Players! Her previous acting credits are mostly from high school, though she did play Twelfth Night’s Sir Andrew in MDSP’s fall revue last semester. Laura is a second-year Master’s student in Library and Information Science; she graduates in May. She’d like to thank the rest of the Players for welcoming her aboard the ship.

Elena Davis (she/her)

Cinna/Second Commoner/Shanty Singer/Funeral Ensemble

is a Junior Cinema & Media studies major. This is her first MDSP mainstage, a year after she became lost at sea following her role in the Spring 2023 production of Men on Boats (Major John Powell) at Montgomery College. Having to resort to piracy to survive, she eventually washed ashore at UMD speaking exclusively in iambic pentameter and with a note thanking her family for supporting her love for theater. There are far fewer boats in Julius Caesar, so the probability of this event occurring a second time are slim to none.

Noah Foster (he/they)

First Citizen/First Soldier/Shanty Singer

A freshman computer science major just getting by. Noah barely remembers how he got here since he auditioned on a whim but is loving being apart of his first Maryland Shakespeare Players production! He had participated in theater heavily during his late-high school years and it only took one college semester without acting to make him come crawling back. Noah thanks his family for pushing him to take on new activities and looks forward to future productions with the MDSP crew.

Brendan O’Boyle (he/him)

Second Citizen/Second Soldier

is a junior studying Studio Art and Economics. You may have seen him in several Grammy-nominated roles such as reindeer #4 in Olive the other Reindeer (2009), Pumba in Disney Mashup (2014), Gary in The Spongebob Musical (2021), or perhaps his most famous role as The Wall in A Midsummer Night's Dream (2018). He thanks you for coming to see the show, as he really needs this right now. P.s. Hey mom and dad!

Leon Sun (he/him)

Third Citizen/Triumvirate Soldier

Leon is a senior computer science major. He can't wait to be cannon fodder . . . wait.

Annabel Mattia (she/her)

Servant

Annabel is a freshman Secondary Education and English double major. This is her first production with MDSP, and she hopes you enjoy the show!

Liam O'Donoghue (he/him)

Director

Senior Mechanical Engineering Major. His MDSP credits include Hamlet (King Claudius), Romeo & Juliet (Co-Director), Twelfth Night (Asst. Director/Fight Captain), King Lear (Albany), Much Ado About Nothing (Leonato). He has also appeared in TDPS's Book Club Play (u/s Male Pundit). This is his sixth and final mainstage production with MDSP, a found family that has defined his time at UMD. He would like to thank each and every MDSP club member, past and present, for making the club special. He would also like to thank Rina, Ryan, Ema, and Anderson; Grace, Maria, Aidan, and Logan; Andy, Lilia, Percy and Kate MV. He hopes you enjoy the show.

Rina Haimson (she/her)

Assistant Director/Fight Choreographer

is a Sophomore History and Sociology major. MDSP credits include Twelfth Night (Sir Andrew), Romeo and Juliet (Balthazar/Fight Captain), and Hamlet (Assistant Director/Fight Choreographer). She would like to thank MDSP for allowing her to play with swords unsupervised, and hopes you enjoy the show!

Ema Rajala (they/them)

Assistant Director/Assistant Costume Designer

This is Ema’s fourth production with MDSP! Acting in Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet, they decided that it was time to help out backstage. Being assistant director has been a big shift, but they enjoy helping out in any way they can. From costumes to music rehearsals, they’ve been sticking their hands anywhere they can. And with their sticky fingers, it’s clear where they’ve left a mark. If you’re not too careful, they’ll stick to you too.

Ryan Lindner (she/her)

Stage Manager

Ryan is super excited to be stage managing such an amazing production with such amazing people. She is a sophomore marketing and sociology major, and this would be her 4th production with MDSP, but her 7th Shakespeare show in total. She is thankful to Liam for giving her a chance to be his stage manager. Thank you Liam, for always trusting me.

Anderson Cheek (she/her)

Assistant Stage Manager

Anderson is so excited to be working on her first MDSP production. She has enjoyed being a part of this pirate crew and has enjoyed swabbing the deck every day. In high school, she did a lot of musicals like Matilda (Mrs. Wormwood) and Legally Blonde (Sabrina) and now she is somehow in Shakespeare! She would like to thank everyone on the cast and on the production team as well as her family and friends for being so supportive.

Max Abramovitz (he/him)

Lighting Designer

Adam Hawley (he/him)

Co-Sound Designer

Adam Hawley (Co-Sound Designer) Junior Theatre major. Creative and Performing Arts Scholar. Mr. Hawley is glad to be back aboard his third production with this rowdy band of privateers, sailors, and gentlemen of fortune. Yarrrrrrr! Recent Credits: Are We At War Yet (UMD, Stage Manager), Hamlet (MDSP, Sound Designer), FMFA Dance Thesis (UMD, SM), Props Carpentry Apprentice (Santa Fe Opera 2023), Romeo and Juliet (MDSP, SM)

Erin Sanders (she/her)

Co-Sound Designer

Silmarien Grinath (she/they)

Costume Designer

Silmarien Grinath has been stabbed the most number of times of anyone during this production, which is impressive considering that they do not play Cesar or any other character. Fortunately for everyone involved, needles and stitch rippers are far less deadly than the daggers that killed Cesar. After designing Hamlet, they are glad to be working as the club's costume designer again and would like to thank Liam for asking them to be part of his production team. She would also like to thank her assistant designer and partner Alex for talking her out of some truly atrocious costume decisions when she was sleep deprived, and in general, for putting up with her.

Oliver O'Brien (they/them)

Props Designer

Oliver is a sophomore pursuing a dual degree in Astronomy and Anthropology and a minor in Planetary Science. This is their second show with MDSP (Hamlet was also pretty sick), and they’re super excited for it! They hope that everyone enjoys the show and that they BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH. Seriously, nothing good ever happens on that day.

Eliana Kindred (she/her)

Set Designer

Kiefer Cure (he/him)

Assistant Fight Choreographer

Kiefer Cure is a DC-based director, sound designer, and performer. Specializing in directing classics, fight, and intimacy, he enjoys taking challenging material and creating theatre that is exciting, safe, and comfortable for companies to perform and compelling and dynamic for audiences to experience. This is his fifth show with MDSP! Upcoming fight credits include Heathers at Third Wall Productions. Selected past credits include She Kills Monsters with Jackson-Reed High School, Head Over Heels with Wildwood Summer Theatre, and Romeo and Juliet with the Maryland Shakespeare Players.

Abbie Ash (any)

Hair/Makeup Designer

Alyssa Levin (she/they)

Music Director

A senior Environmental Science & Policy major (Environmental Politics & Policy) with a minor in Geographic Information Sciences, Alyssa is thrilled to be back with MDSP for one final show! Her previous MDSP credits include King Lear (sound) and Twelfth Night (Feste/Clown), in addition to her amateur and professional credits. She would like to thank her friends and family for their continued support, the production team for their hard work, and the cast and crew for their dedication and passion. She hopes you enjoy the show, and may the wind be in all our sails...

Alex Bryan-Taff (he/him)

Assistant Costume Designer

Lucas Armyn (he/him)

Sound Board Operator

Henri Roviera (he/him)

Light Board Operator

Senior majoring in Aerospace Engineering with a Minor in Astronomy. Doesn’t know how he managed to end up here as the last thing he remembers is talking to Liam and then waking up here. Despite that, he is still thankful towards MDSP (for sure).

Photos

Acknowledgements

Percy Langston

Andrew Cissna

The Maya Brin Institute for New Performance

Jen Osborn 

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center

Dr. Karen Nelson

Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch

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