American Shakespeare Center to present performance of "Julius Caesar" October 20, 2015

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Josh Innerst as Brutus in American Shakespeare Center's production of "Julius Caesar" Photo credit: Michael Bailey

ALBANY, NY (10/07/2015)(readMedia)-- American Shakespeare Center's production of Julius Caesar will be presented in classic Shakespearian style with actors playing multiple roles and surrounded by the audience on three sides, at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2015 in the Main Theatre of the Performing Arts Center on the University at Albany's uptown campus. Live pre-performance music begins at 7:00 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Performing Arts Center and the New York State Writers Institute. Advance ticket prices are $15 general public; $10 students, seniors & faculty/staff. Day of show tickets are $20 general public; and $15 students, seniors & faculty/staff. Box Office: (518) 442-3997; tickets@albany.edu.

In this profoundly moving, thrilling, and deeply human play, Shakespeare shows us a world on fire; a world spinning out of control; a world where some of history's most famous men commit horrific crimes in the name of patriotism and honor. Julius Caesar is a dazzling masterpiece of betrayal, violence, and perhaps most surprisingly - love.

American Shakespeare Center's production is presented in classic Shakespearian style with actors playing multiple roles and surrounded by audience on three sides. Live music is a distinctive component of the American Shakespeare Center's productions. Pre-performance music starts at 7:00 p.m. There is also a 15-minute performance during intermission. Though inspired by Shakespeare's use of a musical "soundtrack" for his plays, the Center sets Shakespeare's lyrics to contemporary styles of music in order to connect with modern audiences.

The director of Julius Caesar is SUNY Cortland graduate Benjamin Curns who has appeared as an actor in more than 90 roles and 60 productions of the American Shakespeare Center. Curns says that with Julius Caesar, "Shakespeare created a play that is both radical and conservative. Passionate and reasoned. Noble and seedy. Political and personal. It is a play that is many things, but make no mistake: it is about us. The play reflects not only our love of country and democracy, but the love between husbands and wives, the love of brothers-in-arms, the love of fathers and sons, and perhaps most importantly, our purported love of fairness and equality."

The Washington Post has called the American Shakespeare Center and its productions, "shamelessly entertaining," and the Boston Globe calls them, "phenomenal-tightly staged, expertly performed and bursting with energy."

Based in Staunton, Virginia, the American Shakespeare Center's mission is to recover the joys and accessibility of Shakespeare's theatre, language, and humanity by exploring the English Renaissance stage and its practices through performance and education.

The play is presented by the Performing Arts Center in conjunction with the New York State Writers Institute. Support is also provided by the University Auxiliary Services and Holiday Inn Express.

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