When Live Oak High School’s drama guild presents “Julius Caesar” next month, audiences won’t see togas and sandals, a Roman soothsayer, or crowns of laurels. Instead, they’ll witness senators in suits, a CIA analyst hunched over a computer and an American flag pin passed between leaders as a symbol of power.
The production, which opens Dec. 4, transforms Shakespeare’s Roman tragedy into a contemporary American political thriller while preserving every word of the original text.
“I didn’t want to do regular old Julius Caesar,” said director Shannon deMelo, explaining the decision to modernize the classic. “It felt very natural to overlay the idea of Rome onto the U.S. We took so much from the Roman Empire in our history when we built the United States.”
The concept has been years in the making. A decade ago, deMelo pitched the idea to a theater company, but never got the chance to stage it. This year, with Live Oak’s drama guild scheduled to perform Shakespeare, the time finally came.
In this version, Julius Caesar serves as president, with Octavius as vice president. The conspirators who plot his assassination are members of the Senate, convinced their leader has grown too ambitious.
The students say the modernization makes Shakespeare’s 400-year-old play feel urgent and relevant to younger audience members who might not connect with the original tale.
“Once you put it in a more recognizable setting that they know, they’re like, ‘I get it,’” said Elizabeth Call, who plays Caius Cassius. “They start to understand, ‘Oh, Caesar was the president, these guys were the Senate,’ and they start to actually understand the story.”
The central conflict of the production avoids the typical pattern of heroes and villains, pitting friend against friend as the tragedy unfolds. After Brutus, Cassius and other conspirators assassinate Caesar, Mark Antony’s funeral oration turns public opinion against them, leading to civil war.
“There’s no distinct correct side to be on,” said Emmanuelle Van Crayelynghe, who plays Brutus. “You don’t know which side you’re supposed to be on.”
Ella Smith, cast as Mark Antony, agreed. “No protagonist, no antagonist—it’s left up to opinion,” she said.
The students hope audiences will draw parallels to contemporary political divisions without the production endorsing any particular viewpoint.
“We want the audience to think to themselves about what’s really going on,” said Sam Boyer, the production’s lead tech and Live Oak Drama Guild president. “Is there a really good or bad side?”
While the dialogue remains unchanged from Shakespeare’s original, the visual elements create the modern setting. Red and blue lighting evokes American political imagery. The Soothsayer who warns “beware the Ides of March” appears as a CIA analyst studying data on a computer screen.
As costume designer, Boyer created individual mood boards for each character, drawing inspiration from presidential aesthetics.
“There’s very Senate-like, presidential looks,” Sam said. “There’s some resemblance with the Kennedys because that’s what we got a lot of inspiration from.”
The time period remains deliberately vague and “modernish” rather than pinned to a specific decade, allowing audiences to interpret it through their own lens.
DeMelo attributes the production’s success to her cast, describing the task of casting as “90% of directing.”
“If you can get it right the first time, that 10% is really easy,” she said.
For the student actors, the production has demanded intensive work memorizing Shakespeare’s language and building dramatic intensity. Smith faces the particular challenge of delivering four consecutive monologues without leaving the stage.
“I enjoy so much just knowing that I can memorize all of that and present it to a whole bunch of people and still be understood,” she said. “Being hurt, sad, angry, going through all the stages of grief, this show has allowed me to explore my acting skills.”
The drama guild has grown significantly under deMelo’s leadership, according to the cast. Just a few years ago, it operated as a chaotic student-run club. Now it produces increasingly ambitious shows with growing technical support.
“Our group is building, we’re getting more technicians, we’re getting more people to join, and our productions are just getting better and better,” Emmanuelle said. “That really is because of Mrs. deMelo.”
The students emphasized that supporting high school theater costs less than a movie ticket while offering the unique experience of live performance.
“It will cost you less money than going to see a movie,” Mello said. “They’re your kids, they’re your neighbor’s kids.”
For many students, the drama guild provides crucial community.
“These people don’t necessarily have a place outside of drama sometimes,” Boyer said. “We’re so lucky to have drama as a place for so many people. This is a community, and we all love each other and respect each other.”
“Julius Caesar” runs Dec. 4, 5 and 6 at 7pm at the Live Oak High School Theatre, with an additional matinee at 1pm on Dec. 6. For more information and to purchase tickets in advance, visit lohsdrama.booktix.com.
