Fredericton’s Bard in the Barracks theatre company returns with modern take on Julius Caesar

With COVID-19 restrictions gone, Bard in the Barracks has returned for its regular summer programming. The Fredericton theatre company is ready to show off its take on two plays by William Shakespeare.

"It's really fantastic to be back to doing two shows, which is our norm,” said Len Falkenstein, Bard in the Barracks artistic director. “We've got a full complement of people, there's been a lot of audience excitement and demand.”

For Lucas Gutierrez-Robert, this is their seventh season with the company, and they're excited to bring "Julius Caesar" to life, with a modern twist.

"We've kind of reset the play to be a double of corporate North America, conservative movements, right-wing extremism,” said Gutierrez-Robert, who plays the role of Marc Antony.

"It's a play about conniving politicians backstabbing, and all the things that go along with that,” Falkenstein said. “So it seemed only natural that we do the show around the legislature.”

After being stabbed in the back by the COVID-19 pandemic, actors are looking forward to bringing an audience together this season.

"This is the first play that I'm doing with a live audience in two years,” said Gutierrez-Robert.

With a cast of 15, in both "Julius Caesar" and a production of "As You Like It," the actors are excited to get back to work.

"It's wonderful to be back, it feels more normal. I've been doing Bard for many years since it began,” John Ball, who plays Jaques in "As You Like It."

"Nothing makes me happier. I love feeling an audiences presence, I love hearing them laugh, I love hearing the silence in a serious moment,” said Robbie Lynn, who plays Marcus Brutus in "Julius Caesar."

The "As You Like It" production will be set in Fredericton’s O'Dell Park.

"We've done 'As You Like It' before in the Barracks, but this is a play that's really set in the forest,” Falkenstein said. “It’s about people who run away from the city into the forest where they discover life and love.”

Bard in the Barracks are performing six days a week at either the downtown or O'Dell Park locations until July 3.