Interview: David Melville on Directing Shakespeare's Gritty Political Thriller JULIUS CAESAR

Given recent events and political drama, including propaganda used to sway the public, nothing should surprise modern audiences when it comes to politics. But perhaps the most well-known dramatic representation of political intrigue takes place in Shakespeare’s classic play Julius Caesar, which centers around the events that led to his assassination by Roman senators on the "Ides of March" (March 15) 44 B.C.E. and its aftermath, which resulted in a long series of civil wars that ended in the death of the Roman Republic and the birth of the Roman Empire. 

This July, Independent Shakespeare Company returns to the Old Zoo area of Griffth Park to present Julius Caesar outdoors under the stars, directed by David Melville (pictured). I decided to speak with him about how the production will differ from more traditional staging and why he decided it would be a good fit for audiences.

Thanks for speaking with me David as I know you are busy with tech rehearsals right now. In general, how’s it going?

It’s always a race to the finish—we’ve got to build a theater space, while also rehearsing the play! This year is challenging for all arts organizations. Audiences are just getting back into the habit of attending theater, and in Los Angeles, the writers’ strike certainly impacts many, many people. We’ve noticed our donations are a bit down from previous years, but we are also aware that lots of people are going to need free theater more than ever this summer.

Tell me about Independent Shakespeare’s history presenting free Shakespeare outdoors.

Our first collaboration with the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Park was 20 years ago! That first summer we did 12 performances, and played for about 900 people. In 2019 (our last full season before the pandemic) we did 44 performances of two plays for 45,000 people. It’s certainly more difficult as we’ve grown, and we are lucky to have more paid staff now. What’s remained the same is the incredible spirit and love of theater on the part of our team….and the irrepressible, slightly anarchic Griffith Park audience! They always are such an exciting part of the play. We love that they feel so much ownership of the Festival and feel comfortable enough to interact with the performances!

William Elsman (Marcus Brutus) and Sabra Williams (Caius Cassius) in Julius Caesar. Photo by Keturah Bishop

Were you part of the team who decided to produce Julius Caesar this summer?

I’ve always been fascinated by this play. I directed an experimental version of it in our indoor space in Atwater, the ISC Studio. Since then, we’ve been looking for an opportunity to build on what we developed in that first production.

As part of the production’s scenic design team, how are you including the park’s outdoor setting with your staging?

We are so fortunate to have about half the play in daylight. This means we can really wade into the audience and play some of the scenes with them. In this production, we enlist the audience members to be various elements of the play—the people of Rome, the senators, and so on. As I also play Caesar, I get to shake hands with the audience and welcome them to the forum.

 Sabra Williams portrays Caius Cassius, a senator. Photo by Grettel Cortes

What are some of the play’s themes you are focusing on?

The thing I feel is most potent is how people are swayed to go along with things as part of a group that they would never do as an individual. And of course, the struggle to define for yourself what it means to be a good citizen.

How do you think it will resonate with audiences?

What I really love is that Shakespeare offers no decisive answers in this play—there aren’t clear villains or clear heroes. I think as a society, we’ve lost our taste for holding disparate truths alongside one another—especially with social media as it seems that someone is all good or all bad at a given time. But ambiguity is a fundamental part of the human experience, and I hope that audiences will see themselves in the character’s struggles to decide what to do and who to be.

David Melville (Julius Caesar) and Hiwa Chow Elms Marc Antony. Photo by Grettel Cortes

Tell me about your non-traditional casting.

Over the past twenty years, we’ve become known for our innovative staging, dynamic performance style, and creating a team of artists that reflect and speak to all Los Angeles. We’re building on that history with this production since in our re-imagined Rome, Cassius and Marc Antony (as well as other traditionally male characters) are played by women. We’re eager to challenge the norm of who can wield power within a society, as well as challenging the traditional views of what women are capable of. Beyond that, this Rome is at the intersection of the modern world, incorporating technology in surprising ways that will invite the audience to become a character in the play, making each performance unique depending on how and when the audience begins to question their complicity in the action.

Are there immersive moments during the play when audience members are called upon to play their part in the story?

Oh yes! Absolutely. And what we’ve noticed is that the audience can be very unpredictable in their responses! It’s great—it keeps all of us on our toes.

foreground: William Elsman (Marcus Brutus). Background: left-right: Richard Azurdia (Casca), Carene Rose Mekertichyan (Metellus Cimber), Hiwa Chow Elms (Marc Antony), Patrick Batiste (Trebonius). Photo by Grettel Cortes

Featured in the cast are Jordan Anderson, Richard Azurdia, Patrick Batiste, Hiwa Chow Elms, Daniel De Young, William Elsman, David Melville, Carene Rose Mekertichyan, Jacqueline Misaye, Kelvin Morales, and Sabra Williams. How was casting the play done? And have you worked with most of these actors before?

We are a rarity in contemporary theater as we have an ensemble of actors that work together over time. But we are excited to welcome some new faces this year! They really bring a tremendous value to the proceedings. New voices, new perspectives--it's so important to keep the collaborative process fresh.

What are some of the technical challenges you are facing producing the play outdoors?

foreground left-right: Sabra Williams (Caius Cassius), William Elsman (Marcus Brutus)
Background left-right: Richard Azurdia (Casca), Kelvin Morales (Decius Brutus), Daniel De Young (Cinna), Jordan Anderson (Lucius). Photo by Grettel Cortes

It’s all challenging outdoors! Running electric cables, building a backstage area that can support the artists, managing sound and lights—and this year there is a pair of extremely noisy birds that like to take a loop around the stage about 20 minutes into the performance!

What do you hope audiences will be talking about after seeing it?

First and foremost, I hope they will talk about how much they enjoyed going to the theater. A large part of our mission is to grow theater audiences and welcome more people into the theater-going community. The greatest honor is to have a first-time theater-goer in the audience, and have them decide that they would like to see another play--whether one of ISC's productions or another company's. When we first started, a friend of ISC commented that we are "evangelists for the theater" and I think that's about right. We would like attending the theater to be part of all Angelenos lives.

For those unfamiliar with your performance location, how will audiences find they play’s site when they arrive in Griffith Park?

Please visit our website and register for the performance you want to see (it’s free!) If you do that you will get directions sent right to your inbox about parking, getting there, what to bring, and so on. It gets very chilly as the sun goes down, so please bring layers!

left to right: Patrick Batiste (Trebonius), Richard Azurdia (Casca), William Elsman (Marcus Brutus), Daniel De Young (Cinna), Kelvin Morales (Decius Brutus) Photo by Grettel Cortes

Are you encouraging audience members to arrive early and enjoy a picnic before the performance at 7pm? Will food and drinks be served there? Tables to sit at?

There are some picnic tables, but most people just spread out on the ground. It’s a lovely, informal feeling. We do not offer concessions, so we definitely recommend bringing things to eat and drink. You can do that before or during the performance.

Is the venue accessible for everyone?

We do our best to make sure that everyone can be accommodated, but it can be challenging to get up the hill to the venue if you have mobility issues. Please call us at 818 710 6306 if you need accommodations and we will arrange it.

How will Independent Shakespeare interact with the community during Julius Caesar?

In addition to the mainstage performances, community engagement events include the popular family workshops Players in the Park/teatristas en el parque (July 16 and July 29 at 6pm), a theme night Community Toga Party (July 27), and Pride Night featuring Shakes-Queer presented by Pickle, West Hollywood’s first Drag Laureate. In a summer-long partnership with SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, audience members are invited to donate new and unopened hygiene items during the Festival. Audience members can join SELAH representatives on July 29 to assemble 300 hygiene kits for the local community of unhoused residents.

David Melville (Julius Caesar). Photo by Grettel Cortes

Is there anything else you would like readers to know about playing Julius Caesar, the production or yourself?

This is second time I’ve played Caesar and it has felt quite different! The first time I had the feeling of Caesar being almost a secondary character; with Brutus and Cassius at the heart of the play. This time, I feel that Caesar feels more part of the center of the play. We made a real effort to make clear that central conflict: that Caesar wants absolute power. As a result, his presence hovers even when he’s not onstage. It’s a fascinating character to play - complex, deeply flawed, and also deeply human and vulnerable.

We look forward to seeing the Los Angeles community in the park this summer!

Production details:

Julius Caesar will preview on Wednesday, July 5, Thursday, July 6 and Friday, July 7 and will open on Saturday, July 8 and perform through Sunday, July 30, Wed-Sun evenings at 7pm. All performances are at 7pm. The location for this summer is the main lawn of the Old Zoo in Griffith Park. All Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival performances and events are free to the public. Seating is General Admission on an open grassy area, first come, first served. Registration is requested but not required. For more information, please call 818-710-6306 or visit www.iscla.org.  Julius Caesar will be followed by A Midsummer Night’s Dream, August 9 – September 3. 

The cast of Julius Caesar:

Julius Caesar: David Melville
Calpurnia, his wife: Carene Rose Mekertichyan
Marcus Brutus, a senator: William Elsman
Portia, his wife: Jacqueline Misaye
Lucius, their servant: Jordan Anderson
Caius Cassius, a senator: Sabra Williams
Marc Antony, a general: Hiwa Chow Elms
Casca. a senator: Richard Azurdia
Cinna, a senator: Daniel De Young
Decius Brutus, a senator: Kelvin Morales
Metellus Cimber, a senator: Carene Rose Mekertichyan
Trebonius, a senator: Patrick Batiste

Cinna the Poet: Kelvin Morales
A Soothsayer: Daniel De Young
Octavius, heir to Caesar: Patrick Batiste
Lepidus, a general: Daniel De Young

Citizens: Jordan Anderson, Richard Azurdia, Patrick Batiste, Daniel De Young, Jacqueline Misaye