The Theatricum Botanicum is a repertory theatre. As such, the rehearsal process is swift and the plays themselves are performed, perhaps, once a week by actors who are simultaneously in several other plays with swift rehearsal processes performed rarely. As such, the focus is on getting the play on its feet, up and running and in front of the audience, and, as long as the main action and emotion are communicated, all is well. There is little room or time for the study and development of subtle moments and their meaning, for finding exquisite interplay and delving into the depth of character possible.

The Theatricum is very good at the repertory process, and, although those who have studied the plays extensively may miss the subtle humor and devastating emotion of their favorite scenes and may leave disappointed, audiences who don’t know, or are perhaps afraid of, Shakespeare will find the plays wash over them in an exciting way and will leave having new appreciation for the Bard, perhaps even surprised and thrilled that they understood the proceedings and felt for the participants. This is the Theatricum’s strength, and goes a long way to explaining why they have lasted as long as they have. That, and the exquisite setting, of course. Julius Caesar at the Theatricum, as with most of their Shapespeare, is exciting and accessible.

Given that, I do have some problems with it. Of course. I’m a reviewer, it’s what I do. If you just want to go experience a taste of what Julius Caesar can be, don’t read any farther, just go see the play.

There is a reason Shakespeare wrote most of his battle scenes to be played off-stage and only commented about or “observed” on stage. Most modern directors love putting the battles back on stage, directly in front of the audience, in order to make the action more immediate. This is fine in motion pictures, where you have grand scale, special effects and editing in your corner, but on a stage, unless you have very well trained performers who really know their way around swordplay, and a very clever fight choreographer, the battles are usually just clunky, slightly embarrassing, and pull the audience out of the action rather than thrust them in.

The production of Julius Caesar at the Theatricum Botanicum is no exception to this. Especially when several of the robust Roman soldiers are played by slim, slight men who seem more suited to a ballet than a battle.

Another issue I have with it I have often with Theatricum productions, and that’s the issue of cross-gender casting. It may be done because there are so few female roles in many of Shakespeare’s plays as written (there are only two in Julius Caesar, Caesar’s wife Calpurnia and Brutus’s wife Portia) and a plethora of good female actors. It is often not too intrusive, sometimes clever. Having the soothsayer played by a woman (Angel Felix) is fine, inconspicuous. However, when Caius Cassius of “he thinks too much, such men are dangerous” fame is played by a woman, even the very good Melora Marshall, it is simply distracting. Often, a part is re-imagined as a woman. Here it is blatantly a woman playing the part of a man.

It could be argued that, in Shakespeare’s time, all the women were played by men (well, boys, actually) so having a woman play a man is fine. The operative word, here, however, is “all”.

The scene early on where Cassius convinces, almost seduces, Brutus (the very good Mike Peebler ) into seeing what Caesar is doing to Rome and enlisting him into the conspiracy to assassinate him becomes dodgy at best. (In fact, there was very little seduction evident, here, a missed opportunity, given the gender-bending casting, that was pointed out by the young scholar who sat next to me.) Cassius becomes strident, rather than devious. The scenes where Cassius commands his troops becomes odd. Not that a woman couldn’t, look at Joan of Arc, but that this woman playing a man sounded shrill, not at all commanding. The scene where he cowardly commands his slave to kill him after thinking his best friend captured was laughable. Indeed, there where titters in the audience the night I attended.

Julius Caesar was directed by Ellen Geer. Ceasar was played by Carl Palmer, Calpurnia by D.J. Harner. Susan Anthony was Portia and Aaron Hendry was Marc Anthony.

Lighting was by Michael Mahlum and costumes by Shon LeBlanc and Valentino’s Costumes.

The Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd, Topanga, CA 90209, midway between Pacific Coast Highway and the Ventura Freeway.

Performances of Julius Caesar are Saturdays at 8 pm June 6, 13 and 20
Saturdays at 4pm June 27, August 29, September 12, 19 and 26
Sundays at 7:30 pm July 5, 12 19, 26, August 2, 9, 16, 23 and September 6

Ticket prices: Adults $30.00 lower tier, $20.00 upper tier. Seniors, students, equity - $20/$15. Children 5 through 11 - $10, under 5 free.

Reservations online at www.theatricum.com or by phone at (310) 455-3723.