One of the most shocking, modern and also advanced plays of the recent years in Europe is a performance of “Julius Caesar”, directed by Romeo Castallucci in November of 2001 in Edeon Theater of Paris. This performance has been arranged by Rafaelo Sanzio based the studies done by the historians about Caesar’s life and its comparison with the Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” tragedy.
“Rafaelo Sanzio”, is an Italian family group. Romeo Castallucci and his sister perform in this play. The rest of the cast is acquaintances of Castallucci. Castallucci has studied representational arts and has benefited from contemporary representational arts and installations in his performances. The visual and performance aspects of his work are very strong and like contemporary visual works, are subject to various interpretations.
At the beginning of the play, we are introduced to the varying aspects of the “discourse.” A man on the stage preaches and at the same time shoves an instrument into his throat. We observe his inside on a big screen at the end of the stage. We see how the tongue and the voice function. Another man takes deep breadth from a pure oxygen apparatus and then lets out his metamorphic voice to say his piece. Another man with throat cancer presents the same Julius Caesar speech. The myth of Julius Caesar and Brutus before Christ coincides with the myth of Jesus (Father and the Son.) Isn’t history same as myths that are repeated?
This play showed the futility of words, encounter of word with action, comparison of the stated with not-stated, encounter of the not stated, and showed the political statements in historical speeches such as the famous speech by Julius Caesar in a demonstrative, representational and visual language. Through play, Castallucci constructs myths from historical personas. He smashes historical personas through mythical plays. Castallucci takes advantage of all stage factors to express his view.
During the last curtain, we face an apocalyptic atmosphere. The atmosphere of the end of the world!. Brutus is a woman, the times are death-ridden, it’s the story of words again and actions are not synchronous. Anyone who believes in “words” will be compelled to join death. The multi-voice and very modern performance of Romeo Castallucci and his method in examination and trial of Julius Caesar’s historical speech from different angles make us contemplate.
The play awakens our historical memories and through the play we remember the human burning ovens and the racist mass murders of the World Wars. Isn’t the end of the 20th Century, the end of humanity? Have we approached the end of time? Is humanity in the process of distinction?
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This play showed the futility of words, encounter of word with action, comparison of the stated with not-stated, encounter of the not stated ... "
