By The Numbers
It Took a Company to Build Rome
Staged by a 6 person artistic team.
9 actors brought 24 characters to life.
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 & health benefits.
Along the way, the company carried:
9 swords
2 shields
Countless costumes, props, signs, supplies, and gallons of water
Together, they presented 19 free performances for 6,560 New Yorkers.
Meet The Company
Throughout The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the company transformed from senators to soldiers, servants to citizens, conspirators to casualties.
Just nine actors took on the rulers, conspirators, soldiers, spouses, servants, poets, and citizens 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)
The Best Lines of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
Next to Hamlet, this may be Shakespeare’s most quotable play!
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
What You Told Us and We Heard!
ON THE PRODUCTION
“The acting was phenomenal.
”
“Brutus was spectacular.”
“One of the best plays I’ve seen all year.”
ON THE EXPERIENCE
“I loved moving from scene to scene.”
“I loved moving from scene to scene.”
“I’ve never experienced theatre like this before.”
ON ACCESSIBILITY
“This is such a beautiful offering to the city.”
“It felt like theatre for the community.”
“I understood Shakespeare in a way I never had before.”
