By William Shakespeare
Directed by Charles McMahon
February 6 - March 16, 2014

Idealism, envy, and power politics collide as the Roman Republic reaches a crisis. Caesar's political genius, military prowess, and overwhelming popular appeal make him the most powerful leader the Republic has ever known. But his popularity breeds suspicion among his rivals and some fear Caesar's power will corrode the freedom of the State. Shakespeare's vision of Rome is both epic and intimate, from powerful speeches in grand public squares to whispered conspiracies in back rooms and dark hallways. There in the shadows, unlikely alliances set up a chain of events that bring down the great Caesar and thrust Rome into a disastrous civil war. Tony Award nominee Forrest McClendon leads an all-Philadelphia cast in Shakespeare's timeless political thriller, brought to you by "the city's top presenter of Shakespeare's work." (TheaterMania.com)

Adam Altman as Murellus/Ensemble  •  Mary Lee Bednarek as Calpurnia/Ensemble  •  Joe Guzmán as Cassius/Ensemble  •  Forrest McClendon as Caesar/Ensemble  •  Jered McLenigan as Marc Antony/Ensemble  •  Kittson O'Neill as Portia/Ensemble  •  Matt Tallman as Casca/Ensemble  •  Kes Khemnu (U.R.) as Brutus/Ensemble  •  Bradley K. Wrenn as Octavius/Ensemble

Meghan Jones, Production Manager & Scenic Designer  •  Brian Strachan, Costume Designer  •  Shon Causer, Lighting Designer  •  Mark Valenzuela, Sound Designer  •  Christopher Colucci, Original Music  •  J. Alex Cordaro, Fight Director  •  KyoDaiko, Musicians  •  Joshua L. Browns, Assistant Director  •  Kate Coots, Assistant Director  •  Rebecca Smith, Stage Manager

"Director Charles McMahon, founding artistic director of the Lantern Theater Company, asserts that all of Shakespeare's plays, whenever or wherever they're set, are in fact observations about contemporary England. By shifting the locales to places outside of his homeland, the playwright made his universal themes more palatable to a British audience; in essence, they would rather hear about the human shortcomings and socio-political foibles of distant characters and cultures, than to have them exposed directly about themselves and their nation. If you accept the conceit, and can reconcile the historical facts of the script with the artistic license of the design, you will surely appreciate Lantern's stunning production." –Phindie