Last week, Tarleton Theatre performed a fast-paced, post-apocalyptic twist on Shakespeare’s classic, Julius Caesar.

In “2030 United States after a Final World War” in the words of the program, ancient Roman pillars were replaced with a rotating fort of scrap metal and ruins. Debris flanks either side with a number of ladders leading to the roof, and a stairway trailing off in the distance. 

Graffiti litters the area with “Caesar” scribbled on the wall in a blood-red hue. Offset by eerie red lighting, actors commanded the stage with characters larger than life.

During this tale of death and betrayal, Brutus, played by Clay Luton, has a powerful presence that fills the room. His voice booms across the stage as he leads a group of six senators to conspire against decorated war general Julius Caesar.

Taylor Fambrough in the role of Cassius, whispers in Brutus’ ear to convince him that the powerful Caesar has been consumed by ambition, and needs to be slain for the good of Rome. Of course, she is motivated by a deep envy of Caesar’s great influence. 

Brutus caves to her flattery and deception, even as Caesar’s best friend. I think we have all had Cassius in our lives, and Fambrough’s performance did a great job of portraying his manipulative nature from the original play.

During the conspirators’ scheming, what stood out to me was Addy Brown as Lucillius. Her expressive banter and cold-hearted laugh following the execution of Caesar made her the most callous traitor of all. 

But perhaps even more riveting than the performance of the arrogant Caesar, having ignored the bad omens of a Soothsayer and his wife to fall to his death, was that of his loyal companion Marc Antony.

James Stack displayed what one could only describe as raw emotion in his performance as Marc Antony when he spoke at Caesar’s funeral, inspiring an uprising of the Roman people to avenge his beloved friend.

The suspense, animated characters, and dark aesthetic kept the audience at the edge of their seats. The distressed costumes and black makeup almost reminded me of a dark Renaissance Faire, setting the tone for a post-apocalyptic atmosphere.

As this story was set in modern times, the cast was predominantly female as opposed to the original with mostly male roles. However, this did not at all take away from their electrifying performance.

Dr. Hurley attended the performance at 7:30 p.m. on April 13 and was more than impressed with the student actors. 

“I highly recommend everyone to get out and support our @thetheatreattarleton’s production of Julius Caesar,” Dr. Hurley captioned a post on his Instagram account, @tarletonprez, later that night. “Our students are incredibly talented Texans!”

Overall, Tarleton State’s post-apocalyptic rendition of Julius Caesar did not disappoint, with the same dramatic flair of the Shakespeare classic in a set that looks straight out of Fallout.