Julius Caesar • 2013 - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
IN SMALL GROUPS/PAIRS
70 Dream Team
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Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s casting director is responsible for finding the right person for every character
you see on our stage—no small task! After you’ve read the play, think about each character—how do they look,
sound, move, and behave? Think of television and film celebrities who fit your image of the character and, in
groups, discuss who your “dream team” would be for your version. Since it’s all fantasy, you might choose a
blend of two or more people. Your vision of Brutus might be the physical appearance of Jude Law mixed with the
brooding thoughtfulness of Ryan Gosling. Now start clipping out magazines and to create your perfect cut-out
cast! Then present your cast to the other groups, using evidence from the text to explain why you made each
decision, and compare your ideas with everybody else’s. CONSIDER COMMON CORE ANCHOR STANDARDS RL1,
RL2, RL3
E! True Hollywood Story
Often the actors you see on stage will imagine the life of their characters outside of the play in order to get into
the role and add “flesh to the bones” of the character. “Creating a back-story” helps make the character feel more
real—both to the actor and to us. It is fully hypothetical and subjective, but hopefully well informed by a thorough
understanding of the text and its characters. Choose a character, and imagine that it is now ten years after the
action of the play. Write an article about the course your character’s life has taken. How old are you now? What
are your current activities? Have you led a difficult life, or a charmed one? Why? What’s your outlook on life now?
What factors have led to your outlook on life as reflected in the play? How did Caesar’s death affect your life?
Root your work as much as possible in clues from the text. Discuss your profile in small groups or pairs. CON-
SIDER COMMOM CORE ANCHOR STANDARDS W3, W9
Extra! Extra!
Based on the scenes you are studying, create a newspaper for Rome. Creative sections can be: local news,
world news, obituaries, advice columns, entertainment, sports, business, personals, classified ads, political
cartoons, etc. In small groups develop and design your newspaper. CONSIDER COMMON CORE ANCHOR STAN-
DARDS W4, W9
Shakespeare on the Spot
As a group, generate five questions that you would ask William Shakespeare about his play if you could.
Pass your group’s questions to the group next to you. Now as a small group, role-play William Shakespeare,
and attempt to answer another group’s questions. Of course, your answers will be purely speculative, but
you should root your answers in the text or historical fact as much as possible. Share some of the most
interesting questions and answers from each group with the rest of your class. CONSIDER COMMON CORE
ANCHOR STANDARDS R6, SL1
Julius Caesar • 2013