Bahamians Jovanna Hepburn and Patrice Francis' one-night turn on a Prague, Czech Republic stage for the performance of Julius Caesar, was a rewarding experience, to perform with people who share their love and respect for acting and pursuing it full time, according to the duo.
"There were multiple nationalities that made up our cast, and although we spoke different languages and have different cultural backgrounds, we are all trained in the art of telling a believable story," said Hepburn and Francis from Prague after their one-night run show on Tuesday, March 21.
Hepburn played Mark Antony. Francis played one of the conspirators, Metellus Cimber.
"The play was very well-received. The audience really seemed to appreciate the performance and to grasp the nuances and subtleties. Julius Caesar is one of Shakespeare's better-known and oft-quoted plays and the audience appeared to embrace this futuristic re-telling of it."
The duo said the performance reinforced that at the end of the day, the Prague Shakespeare Company, headed by Guy Roberts and Jessica Boone, is in the ways that count, very similar to Ringplay Productions and Shakespeare in Paradise (SiP) led by Dr. Nicolette Bethel and Philip Burrows.
"Both companies are in the business of producing meaningful, engaging, and excellent theater experiences for the audience and the actors alike. Opportunity is key. We want to continue to do this at home and abroad: use our gifts to tell meaningful stories on stage, and by so doing, encourage others to take themselves and their talent seriously," said Francis and Hepburn.
The play was staged at the esteemed Estates Theatre where Mozart premiered his opera, Don Giovanni, in 1787.
"The Estates Theatre is such a grand space that it can easily swallow up an actor who isn't playing the high stakes of the story. Luckily for us, our director was sure to remind us that Shakespeare's characters are larger than life and must be approached that way," they said.
"The Estates is structurally very different from any other house that we have played (it's about three times, (possibly four) that of the Winston V. Saunders mainstage at The Dundas. There are multiple rows of balconies there, so it's imperative to remember to engage those seated high above in the box seats, as well as those at eye level. Vocal projection is paramount in a house that size."
The production was presented in English with sub-titles provided in Czech on a screen at the theater which has 659 seating places with additional standing places available as well.
"We had a rather full house that night and we suspect there were approximately 500 patrons in attendance. They were a lively, appreciative audience. It is certainly among the largest audiences for which we have performed in a theater."
Hepburn and Francis' "audition" for their turn on the Prague stage was their participation in the Prague Shakespeare Company (PSC) Shakespeare Summer Intensive for six weeks in 2019. They each performed in two Shakespeare productions while attending daily classes and receiving training. As a result, the artistic director, Guy Roberts, became familiar with their work.
Hepburn and Francis arrived in Prague at the end of February to begin rehearsals for the production. They return to The Bahamas, the first week of April.
Robert's PSC is a member of the Shakespeare Theatre Association (STA) which held its conference in The Bahamas in January. Scores of partnerships are being pursued between Shakespeare Theatre Association (STA) Members and SiP.
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