By Morgan Henley
Players by the Sea’s latest production, Julius X, is a hybrid of the Shakespearean tragedy Julius Caesar and the historical story of civil rights revolutionary Malcolm X. By combining these two inevitably intriguing stories, a powerful creation is formed. A talented cast, a perfect theatre, and an artistically well endowed technical crew and director help deliver this story as well as anyone could. If anything, this performance leaves the audience with the desire to explore the history of Malcolm X and the dramatic genius of Julius Caesar.
Local playwright and actor, Al Letson has taken this unique mix of stories to create an innovative theatrical style known as a “Poetical”.
“It’s just like a musical, but instead of breaking out into a song, they break into performance poetry. The characters can sing, recite poetry, or rap,” explains Letson.
“It’s a choreopoematic play, similar to the play ‘For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf.’ It’s poetry plus drama, it’s nothing traditional,” said lead actor Larry Knight who plays Brutus.
“It works really well; [it‘s success] will depend on the kind of audience. The audience would need to be open to a different style of theater. You must be open to the idea before you can accept the concept,” said Stage Manager Shannon Jones.
This pioneering new form of theatrics gives the play a fresh new vibe that saves it from being anything too close to either Malcom X or Shakespeare. Any plans for the future of Julius X are still unknown.
“A production like this is not easy to put up, you need a core of five actors, a director with experience in poetry, and an audience that is willing to be pushed,” said Letson. “It’s not easy to get together; this might be the last time it’s ever on stage.”
This seems hard to believe as there is already a production of this play going on currently in Cleveland, Ohio. It has also been performed in New York City.
Don’t be scared away by the Shakespeare element. Although the similarities start from the very beginning of the play and continue throughout, it isn’t bogged down in Elizabethan English, yet its influence is apparent in the dialogue.
The play has been well received by critics and audiences alike. The February 10th matinee performance was even attended by friends of Betty Shabazz, the real wife of Malcolm X.
“The play has the ability to cross cultural barriers, people leave feeling ways they’ve never felt before… some come worried about what to expect” said Knight.
Performances at Players by the Sea will continue through February 16.
Article Published in the 2-14-08 Issue of EU Jacksonville
|
