The two works, which explore the political and personal life of Roman leader Julius Caesar, began repertory performances at the Clurman Theatre Jan. 11 and officially opened Jan. 18.
Eric Parness stages Boal's 23 Knives, which features Brian D. Coats ("The Sopranos"), Todd Alan Crain ("The Producers"), Rafael Jordan ("Wraiths of Roanoke"), Patrick Melville (Crazy for the Dog) and Ryan Tramont (Crazy for the Dog).
Designing the production are Sarah B. Brown (scenic design), Sidney Shannon (costume design), Pamela Kupper (lighting design) and Nick Moore (original music and sound design).
"In 44 B.C., the fate of the Roman Republic hangs in the balance," read 23 Knives press notes. "The most powerful man in the world, Julius Caesar, lies dead in the Theatre of Pompey, as politicians and military men ambitiously move to fill the void of power. Marcus Antonius summons the physician Antistius to uncover the truth about the assassination through a Greek technique called 'autopsy.' But as Antistius discovers more about the crime, the real truth becomes harder to find."
Caesar and Cleopatra, under the direction of Kent Paul, features Pun Bandhu ("Burn After Reading"), Alberto Bonilla (The Cherry Orchard), Chris Ceraso (On the Road to Ruin), Michael Chmiel ("The Bronx is Burning"), Rand Guerrero (Richard III), Christopher Hayes, Rafael Jordan ("Wraiths of Roanoke"), Jon Levenson (Gaslight), Geraldine LiBrandi ("The Sopranos"), Joe MacDougall, Sophie Maerowitz, Brad Makarowski (Our Country's Good), Jessica Myhr ("All My Children"), Wrenn Schmidt (Come Back Little Sheba), Sarah Stockton (Time of Your Life), Grant James Varjas ("The Laramie Project") and Maxwell Zener (American Girls). Caesar and Cleopatra has designs by Sarah B. Brown (scenic design), Michelle Eden Humphrey (costume design), Pamela Kupper (lighting design), Robert C. Rees (original music) and Nick Moore (sound design).
"Four years before Julius Caesar sailed to Rome to meet his untimely end, the great leader sought to conquer the outer reaches of the land, always questing for a kindred spirit to rival his own," read press notes for Caesar and Cleopatra. "What he finds, sitting on top of an ancient Egyptian Sphinx, is a young Queen Cleopatra, who beguiles him not only with her beauty, but because she may be the very match he's been seeking."
For further information visit ResonanceEnsemble.
