UMW Theatre will present William Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ on March 11-13.

UMW Theatre will continue its 2021-22 season with William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Performances of this UMW Theatre Workshop Production will be March 11-12 at 7:30 p.m., and March 12-13 at 2:00 p.m. in Klein Theatre, duPont Hall at the University of Mary Washington. Guests may also attend the Pay-What-You-Can Preview performance on March 10 at 7:30 p.m. The box office opens at 5:30 p.m. and tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. AfterWords, a post-show talkback with the cast, will take place after the matinee performance on March 13. All tickets will be $15.

Julius Caesar tells the story of the Roman Senators behind the assassination of the emperor, Julius Caesar, in a story of politics, corruption, and betrayal. When the play begins, many of the Roman Senators fear that Caesar may be abusing his station and that he will become power hungry. As the assassination plot is formed and begins to come to fruition, Caesar and the Senators grow ever more at odds, and tensions rise.

Julius Caesar was first published in Shakespeare’s First Folio in 1623, but historians believe that it was written and produced sometime around 1599 and was one of the first productions at the Globe Theatre in London. There have been many lauded performances of Julius Caesar since its creation, including Orson Welles’ 1937 production, a 2005 Broadway production with Denzel Washington, and multiple film adaptations. Julius Caesar is produced around the world, and has been translated into many languages, such as Hindi and Bengali.

UMW Theatre is limiting the seating capacity for this production and will require proof of full vaccination or documentation of either a negative PCR COVID test (administered within 72 hours of the performance) or a negative antigen test (within 24 hours of the performance), and will not accept the results of any self-administered home COVID test, such as the Abbott Laboratories BinaxNOW test. The theatre will also require that patrons wear a mask at all times while in the building for the performances. Further information may be found at www.fredtix.com.

Julius Caesar is directed by Marc A. Williams, assistant professor of theatre. Scenic design is by assistant professor Bridgette Dennett and costume design is by associate professor Kevin McCluskey. Lighting and sound design are by guest designer Catherine Girardi and assistant professor Michael Benson, respectively. For further information, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111 or visit www.FredTix.com.

UMW Theatre presents ‘Ordinary Days,’ running in Klein Theatre from Feb. 13-23. Pay-What-You-Can Preview on Feb. 12.

Four young New Yorkers navigate the chaos of being alive in the city that never sleeps, in a world that is eternally shifting. While seemingly unconnected, their paths become entwined in the most unexpected of ways and at the most unlikely of moments. This simple, sweet musical by one of today’s most impressive musical theatre talents, Adam Gwon, reminds us that remarkable lives grow from weeks, months, and years of quite Ordinary Days.

“. . . a sad-sweet comment on the anonymity of life in the city, where it is possible to change other people’s fates without actually getting to meet them.” —The New York Times

“A fresh alternative to most of the overproduced stuff on Broadway.” —The Washington Post

Tickets are available online, over the phone and in person at the Klein Theatre Box Office, which is open Monday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

UMW’s God of Carnage runs through Feb. 24.

Mary Washington theatre students are cooking up something special for their new production, God of Carnage. The comedic commentary on the modern-day strains of remaining civil amid controversy runs Feb. 14 to 24 in UMW’s Klein Theatre.

Two pairs of well-to-do parents sort through a playground altercation between their sons in the show, set entirely in the New York apartment of Michael and Veronica Novak, collectors of African art. Valued sculpture and masks mingle with thick stacks of books, sleek furniture and animal-print pillows in the posh, upscale apartment. But if one of the props looks good enough to eat, it’s because it is. Cast members gather in an off-campus kitchen to create the delicious clafoutis they nibble onstage.

Feigning ingesting a faux version of the dessert just wouldn’t do, said Director of Marketing and Audience Services Jon Reynolds. “In professional theatre, real food is consumed all the time. For the sake of authenticity, we replicate that practice here at UMW.”  Read more.