Julius Caesar at The Laboratory Theater of Florida

The Laboratory Theater presents William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, directed by Alex Dagg and Nykkie Rizley.

Known for pushing boundaries and championing daring, cutting-edge theater, The Laboratory Theater of Florida is returning to its roots with a provocative, modern reimagining of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, opening April 3rd. In this visceral staging, Co-Directors Alex Dagg and Nykkie Rizley swap the marble pillars of Rome for the shadows of a dingy parking lot. This is a world of asphalt and adrenaline, where the high-minded rhetoric of the Senate is replaced by the dangerous codes of the street.

In the shadows of a neglected parking lot, Caesar is the undisputed law. But as influence grows, a faction of his own crew begins to feel the weight of his shadow. Led by a conflicted Brutus and the calculating Cassius, the group plots to dismantle the hierarchy they helped build. In this world of asphalt and adrenaline, loyalty is the only currency, and betrayal is a death sentence.

According to directors Alex Dagg and Nykkie Rizley, “When we began this process, our primary objective was to take a classic play, one so often defined by its direct parallels to the modern political climate, and present it in a way that allows the audience to look past those obvious comparisons. We wanted to refocus the lens on the timeless themes: power, ambition, honor, betrayal, and the terrifying speed with which social order decays once the mob mentality has taken hold. We have stripped away the comfort of historical distance to breathe new life into these familiar ghosts. Our goal is to bridge the gap between Shakespeare’s time and ours, inviting you to witness how fragile our civilization truly is. Ultimately, we hope you see that while the weapons and the clothes may change, the pulse of human ambition and the chaos it can unleash remains the same.

Julius Caesar is set today in the asphalt arena of a derelict apartment complex. The production begins as a breaking news story that quickly devolves into social anarchy. As the facts fail, the literal structure of the setting and the storytelling itself crumble under the weight of the escalating disorder.

The cast of Julius Caesar features Shelley Sanders, Ryan Adair, Justin Larsche, Christian Rivero, Derek Kemp, Greg Wojciechowski, Marja Murawski, Abby Seeley, Roslyn Kellogg, and Daniel Sabiston.

Performance dates:

Apr. 3, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 at 7:30 PM

Apr. 4, 5, 12, 19, 26 at 2 PM

Half-price preview Apr. 2 at 7:30 PM

The Lab’s 17th season is sponsored by Art Zupko and Annette Trossbach.

Tickets are $37 each or $10 for students with valid student IDs. Thrifty Thursday night special ticket price of $32 each for adults. For tickets, please call the box office at 239.291.2905 or online at www.laboratorytheaterflorida.com.