By The Numbers
The Measure of a Roman Summer
9 actors brought 24 characters to life in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.
They were supported by 8 run crew members and stage managers, who moved the production through three parks and helped transform each location into the ancient Rome.
Everyone was paid a living wage and our union artists also received pension and health care benefits.
Along the way, the company carried:
82 costume pieces, 16 swords & daggers, 12 props, 4 helmets, 2 shields,
plus signs, safety supplies, lots of water, and more!
Together, they presented 19 free performances for 6,560 New Yorkers.
Meet The Company
Just nine actors took on the rulers, senators, soldiers, spouses, servants, poets, and plebeians at the heart of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.
Some transformed between roles in full view of the audience. Others appeared unexpectedly from within the crowd. Together, they created an entire Roman world with extraordinary clarity, commitment, and imagination.
Across hundreds of audience responses, praise for the actors emerged more often than any other theme.
Anique Clements
(Cinna, Octavius)
Nafeesa Monroe
(Calpurnia, Trebonius, Messala)
Briana Gibson Reeves
(Portia, Ligarius, Cinna the Poet, Strato)
Paul Deo, Jr.
(Mark Antony)
Carine Montbertrand
(Cassius)
Nick Salamone
(Soothsayer, Lucius, Casca, Lepidus)
Ian Gould
(Metellus, Titinius)
Oneika Phillips
(Brutus)
Clay Storseth
(Julius Cæsar)
See Them in Action!
The Best Lines of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
Next to Hamlet, this may be Shakespeare’s most quotable play!
What It Took to Build Rome
From First Rehearsal to Final Design
Long before the first audience followed Caesar through Central Park, an entire company was hard at work building Rome. Across 24 open rehearsals, our actors and creative team explored Shakespeare’s language, developed characters, and discovered how the story would move through the park. Behind the scenes, Production Designer Garvin Hastings, Design Assistant Alexandra Janowski and four stitchers created a world inspired by ancient Rome and Shakespeare’s England—ultimately helping nine actors transform into 24 characters.
But building Rome for Panoramic Theatre required more than a strong visual concept. Garvin designed costumes that could withstand summer heat and weeks of outdoor performances while allowing actors to move freely through the parks and transform quickly between roles. Every fabric, layer, and detail had to balance storytelling with the realities of performing outdoors.
Read more about how Garvin Hastings designed The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
The Dogs of War
Our Cutest Roman Citizens
At Dog Nights, New Yorkers brought their most loyal companions to experience The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.
Some watched intently. Some slept through the assassination. Some barked at precisely the wrong—or right—moment. All were welcome.
Pride Night and the Slay Caesar Drag Show
Slay, Caesar! SLAY!
Audiences joined us for a bold night of Shakespeare, Pride, and Roman-inspired revelry. They came early for a pre-show kiki, stayed for The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, and kept the celebration going after the performance with a Julius Caesar-inspired drag show at City Coffee & Bar.
Hosted and conceived by Metanoia Rex and featuring Benedick the Bastard and Mallory Josephine Blu, the show transformed Shakespeare’s tragedy into a brilliantly theatrical celebration of drag, camp, and creative death scenes.
Civics Is Sexy
From Rome to Right Now
Before selected performances of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Civics Is Sexy—a nonprofit dedicated to teaching civics through the arts—invited audience members to consider questions at the center of the play.
What makes a good leader? How is public opinion shaped? What responsibilities do citizens have to one another? How can people participate meaningfully in public life?
The activation encouraged participation without telling audiences what to think—making room instead for curiosity, dialogue, and civic reflection and connected Shakespeare’s Rome to the choices we face today.
Little Romans in the Park
Family Nights proved that Shakespeare does not need to be formal, intimidating, or reserved for adults.
Children could sit close to the actors, move through the park, ask questions, take breaks, and experience as much of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar as felt right for them.
With Playday’s creative activities—children made Roman-inspired crafts, created their own props,before the performance—and the flexibility of outdoor performance, families were welcomed on their own terms.
AARP Partnership
Shakespeare for Every Generation
Our first partnership with AARP brought three unique opportunities for older adults to engage with The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. More than 500 audience members joined us for AARP Night, and a dedicated senior matinee offered the only performance of the summer where NY Classical provided a seat for every attendee.
The partnership continued online with a virtual lecture by NY Classical Board Member and Shakespeare scholar Dr. Sid Ray, who helped audiences explore the characters, conflicts, and enduring themes of the play.
Audience Quotes and Reactions
"Speak; Caesar is turn'd to hear."
ON THE PRODUCTION
““Brilliantly directed—sharp, original, and true to Shakespeare’s text.”
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““One of the best plays I’ve seen all year.””
““No microphones. These incredible actors didn’t need them! The acting, vocal clarity, and staging were extraordinary.”
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ON THE EXPERIENCE
““A untruly unique New York theatre experience.”
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““The park setting made the production uniquely immersive. The actors adapted beautifully to the non-traditional theatre environment.”
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““I was blown away by the artistry, organization, and talent of everyone involved.”
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ON ACCESSIBILITY
““I love how these performances make Shakespeare so accessible. Reading the plays in school, I never realized how funny they were or how relevant they could feel today.””
““This is such a beautiful offering to the city.””
““Different, interactive, and close to home—which is especially important to me as an older audience member.””
Many thanks to our generous supporters!
A Community That Makes It Possible
GOVERNMENT
New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature • New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council • NYC Council Member Julie Menin, District 5
FOUNDATIONS
AARP New York • Actors’ Equity Foundation • The Achelis & Bodman Foundation • Axe-Houghton Foundation • The Broadway Green Alliance Off-Broadway Chapter • The Cavali Foundation • The Emilie J. Spaulding Foundation • The Howard Gilman Foundation • The Hyde & Watson Foundation • The Herman Leibmann Foundation • The Heller Family Foundation • The J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation • The Lynton Foundation • The Michael Tuch Foundation • The New York Community Trust • The Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust • The Shakespeare Fund of Theater League of Kansas City
CORPORATIONS & BUSINESSES
BHW Consulting • Boost Mobile • Bloomberg • Brooklyn Game Lab • Church of the Epiphany • City Center Dance • City Coffee & Bar • Civics is Sexy • Da Ping Luo Photography • DooLoops • Google • Mahir Floral & Event Designs • New York Circus Academy • Ottinger Employment Lawyers • Penguin Random House • Playday • POSTSHAME • Sarah Chin Photography • Susan K. Flanagan Catering • ZenBusiness • Zoomies
