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Breakneck Julius Caesar
Show Information:
Timothy Mooney Repertory Theatre
Amid the latest swirl of controversy surrounding Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Tim Mooney, author/performer of Shakespeare’s Histories, Lot o’ Shakespeare, and Breakneck Hamlet brings Breakneck Julius Caesar to Kansas City!
In light of the Trump-inspired version of “Caesar” drawing a firestorm of attention in New York, Mooney notes, “I’ve never seen so much attention to a single Shakespeare play in my lifetime!” And yet, much of the New York controversy is largely misguided: “Caesar’s killing is actually considered a bad thing, and if the protestors hung around through the fifth act, they might see the conspiring assassins get their come-uppance!”
Mooney’s snarky, shortened version of “Caesar” gives a wide-lens view of the play, showing the “forest” rather than the individual “trees,” in a one-man, one-hour romp that the Orlando Weekly calls “electrifying edutainment,” while the Orlando Sentinel commends: “His depth of knowledge makes him the perfect guide for this Elizabethan journey, which is enjoyable for ‘literary dorks’ and ‘Shakespeare virgins’ alike.”
The audience itself participates as conspirators and crowds torn between Antony, Caesar and Brutus, most notably with what that crown jewel of reverse psychology, “Friends, Romans, Countrymen.” After that, the last two acts unwind from the world’s most famous assassination to an ironic perspective with a surprise (hilarious) ending that they just don’t teach in high school!
Venue
Unicorn Theatre – Jerome Stage
3828 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64108
Show Times
July 21 – Friday – 6:30pm
July 23 – Sunday – 5:00pm
July 24 – Monday – 8:00pm
July 26 – Wednesday – 6:30pm
July 27 – Thursday – 8:00pm
July 29 – Saturday – 11:00pm
Category
Theatre
Comedy
Runtime
60 Minutes
Rating
All Ages
Comments
7 responses to “Breakneck Julius Caesar”
This show is fun and informative. Tim Mooney does a great job giving you an hour long does of Shakespeare, with a bit of audience participation thrown in for added fun. Well acted, well worth seeing.
Impressive, go see it.
Tim Mooney compresses one of my favorite Shakespearean plays and surpasses the entertainment he provided two years ago with Breakneck Hamlet. Like his whirlwind Dane, Mooney employs creative costuming and adds a playful projection to encourage we the plebians to shout our lines after his moving monologues. I was among the first to applaud his “Cry Havoc!” soliloquy at its fiery end because—in the hands of a lesser actor—Antony’s unleashed anger so often falls shy of the mark. Mooney hits the sweet spot and works each transition like a trained Tasmanian Devil in a toga, blending iambic pentameter deftly with his own comedic smarm. As an English teacher who tackles this wonderful bit of history and tragedy every spring, I was able to learn new tidbits and enjoy new nuances that I’ll be sure to take back to my Alaskan classroom. If you have not yet seen this gem, I encourage you to get to the Unicorn early, grab yourself a drink, and get ready to yell your lines as only a hearty mob can. Huzzah, Mr. Mooney, huzzah!
This show was thoroughly enjoyable–a combination of serious Shakespearean acting with some asides that were both humorous and informative. This was not a spoof, as one might guess from the title, but a real exploration of the story. I was totally drawn into the story throughout the show. His aim was to perform the play in one hour (he had an electronic clock on stage counting down the time) and he finished with about ten seconds to spare–incredible timing.
What a wonderful show! Tim’s enthusiasm and love for Shakespeare propel him around the stage and splash onto the audience; we can’t help but thrill to what is usually presented as a rather weighty play as he becomes character after character. Each character is embodied by voice, posture and costume. His interstices and asides give us greater context and understanding of the play, both in Roman times and Elizabethan. I highly recommend this performance and look forward to seeing his other breakneck works.
Funny & interesting. Great presenter! Even if you aren’t a Shakespeare fan, you’ll enjoy this fast-paced version of Julius Caesar.
If you don’t appreciate Shakespeare literature, understand it, or don’t care. Timothy Mooney will change your perception. Everytime I see his “Breakneck Productions”. I get a deeper insight an for the characters & their irks & crazy quirks. I realize Will Shakespeare was the very 1st, soap drama/reality tv show writer. Thats how Timothy serves these stories to you-for the everyday individual to comprehend. Plus, you learn something. If nothing else, KC Fringe is honoref & blessed to have the Timothy Mooney Reperatory Theater grace it stage (Unicorn Theater). Breakneck Julius is a interactive delight. A TOTAL MUST GO SEE! BTW, he actually can deliver a can deliver a 5 act play in under 60 minutes. Pssst-there’s a clock on stage for all to see to prove it!