Carrillo’s Julius Caesar
Cast of the show going through their lines (Denise Elia-Yen, The Puma Prensa)
Written By: Dylan Cooper, Features Editor
“Et tu, Brute?” Shakespeare’s brilliance is almost impossible to sum up in one line, but these three words come close to showing how remarkable the man’s mind was. Now, centuries later, Maria Carrillo High School has stepped up to put these words into action, with the drama team’s rendition of Julius Caesar.
The next grandiose project that the drama department has put upon themselves is to get ready and perform Julius Caesar for our campus’ enjoyment. The show dates are set to start soon here, occurring from the 26th to the 28th of September.
The team has spent the last couple of months bringing the Roman palace setting to life and seeing how to make each outfit as impressive as possible in preparation for this display. They have allocated tons of their personal time for things like auditions, rehearsals, set building, and other jobs to bring a spectacular show to light. Working day in and day out, the students are feeling a great bit of excitement when it comes to making this possible.
There is a ton of dedication that has gone into understanding this piece, with the team trying their absolute hardest “to represent that good old Roman facade and right now it’s just about assembling everything,” said junior Julian Cervantes, one of the set builders working alongside the backstage crew. He speaks highly of the work the team has been able to accomplish thus far, striving for excellence in setting the scene. “We have a lot of good actors, they’re putting the work in, bringing the characters to life and I honestly think it’s gonna be a good show,” shared Cervantes.
The actors that are moving to perform have also shown their level of strength when it comes to making everything turn out just right, doing their best to understand and step into their respective roles. Sophomore Juliet Tenoso has taken on the iconic character of Marcus Brutus, spending as much time as possible in truly becoming the infamous betrayer. “I have always wanted to play a character who is conflicted on the inside, I have played many types of characters before and I feel like my approach to Brutus is slightly different, mostly because of his stage presence, but also because of his inner conflict with himself, with those around him, and with the decisions he has to make,” said Tenoso. The commitment she and many others have shown when making this all work is a remarkable gift to our Carrillo audience.
Looking back on all the drama the team has been able to pull together in the past and everything that has been put out thus far, the show will almost certainly be worthwhile.
Senior Jaden Johnson also stands in as being an important factor in the play, working both as the major character Mark Antony, and as a member in behind-the-scenes production. “This is one of the most emotional pieces that we’ve done, and I feel that everything so far is working together to make this a real gut punch where you can laugh, cry, and have a fantastic time,” said Johnson. Overall, Julius Caesar is turning out to be another incredible event thanks to the hard work of our esteemed drama team, so go fill those empty seats and watch Shakespeare get brought to life before your very eyes.