War and power: Shakespearean production in the works

The UTRGV Theatre Department will perform “Coriolanus,” a Shakespearean tragedy about a military leader turned politician, from March 25-27 and April 1-3 in the Albert L. Jeffers Theatre in Edinburg.

Director Brian Warren, an associate professor in the Theatre Department, said this is an interesting play and lesser known among William Shakespeare’s works.

He said the title character, Coriolanus, is not suited for his political appointment and the tragedy happens from there.

Warren said politics and the military are two different worlds. He said Shakespeare was writing about a topic that often happens throughout the years.

“His works have been made into all these different movies,” Warren said. “So if people have a memory of any of those, like ‘Romeo and Juliet’ … it’s a chance to see, well, what other plays are out there from the 37 that he has written, you know? … We’re all about educating people, so maybe it’ll give them a chance to see another Shakespeare that they may not have heard of.”

On March 25 and 26 and April 1 and 2, the play will begin at 7:30 p.m. and at 2 p.m. on March 27 and April 3. An ASL interpretation of the play will be provided on March 26.

Admission is free and open to the public. Facial covering and social distancing restrictions will be set in place for the play.

Jennifer Saxton, an associate professor in theatre and costume designer, said “Coriolanus” is shockingly modern.

“It feels really topical,” Saxton said. “It feels like it’s about what’s going on right now in the world, which is interesting. So, I think, that’s kind of a compelling story, you know, but not just the politics, but also the people. He’s kind of got a strange relationship with his family … trying to meet the needs of his family, but he’s not the only person with ambition. … He’s like this great general, right. He’s making the leap into politics, but then we’ve also got other people in his family who are, you know, kind of pushing, too.”

Saxton said the costumes for this play are contemporary.

“[I did] a lot of research and then a lot of conversations with the director about his concept,” she said. “So he had this idea for the show. It was exciting because it’s sort of, you know, exactly the way I saw the show, too, you know. So, we have this kind of modern idea of it, and then I start drawing. So, it’s like really knowing the show, really knowing the script, talking with the director, understanding his production concept for the show, and then I get to work.”

Luis Macias, a theatre performance senior, will portray Caius Martius Coriolanus, a Roman soldier.

Other members of the cast include Diego Ramirez Meda, as Menenius, a father figure and friend; Ceilia Loredo, as Coriolanus’ wife; and Frank Zamora, as Tullus Aufidius, Coriolanus’ enemy.

Macias said his character is hotheaded.

“I think the challenge with this one is finding the complexity of him as a person, not just a character in the play,” he said.

Macias said Shakespeare can be easily dismissed as boring because of its outdated language.

“The content of the play, it’s still very relevant,” Macias said. “You know, once we get past the outdated language with good actors … I think it’s really enjoyable. Every play has something to take away from it, like a message, and I think it’s very relevant with the political climate lately. So, I mean, people will probably catch on to that with the play.”