This document discusses production design elements for a performance of William Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar". It includes sections on costume design, lighting design, set design, and direction. For costumes, it describes the historical period and proposed outfits for key characters like Caesar and Brutus. The lighting design section outlines how lighting can be used to focus on important scenes and characters, set mood, and transition between scenes. The set design discusses creating the setting and establishing period details. Finally, the direction section provides casting choices and describes the play's themes of deceit and hatred that will be emphasized.

1. Julius Caesar
Umair Siddiqi, Isbah Shaikh, Uzair Kaleem, Khagunesh Patel

2. Costume Designer
Style:
For a tragedy like Julius Caesar, the
costumes would be formal and dignified
for all the serious scenes that go on in the
play.

3. Costume Designer
Historical Period:
The play of Julius Caesar took place
in Rome around 45 BC. The type of
costumes that will depict the
historical period include Roman
togas and soldiers’ helmets.

4. Costume Designer
Nature of Individual Characters or Groups:
• Brutus is a supporter of the republic. Brutus is Caesar’s good friend, but he strongly
disagrees with the way Caesar rises to power as a dictator. Brutus is a sweet man at
heart. The only reason he conspires to kill Caesar because he believes it’ll benefit
Caesar. Brutus keeps his private life separate from his public life.
Brutus would have proper bright colored clothing to show that he is a good,
respected man.

5. Costume Designer
Nature of Individual Characters or Groups:
• Julius Caesar is a great Roman general and senator who is very successful in his
military conquests. He believes that he is not turning into a dictator. He is unable to
separate his public life from his private life. He loves the attention he is given from the
public.
• Julius Caesar’s costume would consist of bright and elegant military apparel to
represent his amazing military skills and his wealth. Also, the bright clothing shows his
personality of being self absorbed.

6. Costume Designer
Nature of Individual Characters or Groups:
• Conspirators: The two main men behind the murder of Caesar are Casca and
Cassius.
• Cassius is a talented general and longtime acquaintance of Caesar. He doesn’t like
how Caesar is godlike now so he decided to kill Caesar. He is an impulsive and
unscrupulous person.
• Casca is a public figure who opposes Caesar. He believes that Caesar plays with the
people into believing that he has no personal ambition.
• The conspirators will have darker and more dull apparel to represent that they are
the antagonists in this play.

7. Costume Designer
Showing relationships and symbolic
significance:
 Julius Caesar and the conspirators will look more wealthy and have better
looking apparel. This will distinguish the difference between the politicians
and the commoners.
 To show the relationship between the conspirators, the conspirators will
have similar apparel that will match one another.
 The symbolic looks will include Julius Caesar wearing bright colors signifying
his greatness and the conspirators will wear dark apparel which will signify
their dark motives and actions.

8. Costume Designer
Meeting the needs of individual
performers:
 The performers will have light clothing. They will have light clothing
because this will help the performers when the scenes with a lot of
movements take place. It would make not as strenuous to do the
actions.

9. Lighting Designer
 Responsible for creating, installing, and setting controls for stage
lighting
 Important to have background in the technical and mechanical
aspects of lighting as well as a broad, creative visual imagination.
 Translate words, actions and feelings into color, direction, and
intensity

10. Visibility
 The chief function of lighting is illumination or visibility.
 It is critical to make sure the audience can see the performers’ faces and
their actions on stage
 We will need to create balance that allows for visibility while also meeting
other design objectives.
 For the play we will need to focus on providing clear visibility on characters
like Julius, Brutus, Antony, Cassius, and Octavius. Although there are other
characters in the play, they aren’t as important as the ones mentioned
above. The plot of this story revolves mostly around these character and it is
critical to make sure they are visible.

11. Shape and Form
 Another goal of the lighting designer is to reveal objects as interesting as possible.
 When you only have light from the top of the audience and from the front of the stage, the
audience gets a flat uninteresting view.
 The designer needs to make the play realistic by having lights and color from the side, top, and
behind the actors. This will help enhance the actors and other visual elements.
 Most of the play should contain lighting that reveals shape and form but there are three scenes in
particular that should be focused on.
 The first scene is where Julius is murdered. The lighting needs to be in a way that really signifies the
importance of the murder but also the moment where Julius is stabbed. The audience needs to
be able to see this part as accurately as possible.
 The second scene that needs to be illuminated well is the part where the armies fight each other.
Since this is part is also important, it also needs to look very realistic and clear to the audience.
War isn’t something people experience everyday; we need to make it come alive.
 The last scene that needs to stick out to the audience is when Brutus runs into his sword while
Strato holds it. This part is crucial in the play because it shows that Brutus has had enough. He has
seen Caesars ghost and knows they are about to lose the war. The audience needs to know of its
importance.

12. Focus and Composition
 In theater lighting, focus refers to the beams of light focused on one
particular area.
 Usually, the lighting will focus on a character or object and then leave the
surrounding area either dim or completely black. This results in the
audience focusing on that particular object/character.
 The part of the play that this could be used on is when Brutus first sees
Caesars ghost. To make things more dramatic and spooky, we can have
the light focus on Brutus and the “ghost” linger around the blackened
areas of the stage. This will also make things more realistic because the
audience will not be able to see the ghost. The ghost really cant be
accurately/realistically played by a human figure.

13. Mood and style
 Lights play a major factor in creating mood and style. Certain colors and
tones can impact the audience’s emotions which make the play even
better.
 Since the play is a tragedy, most of the colors should be gloomy. There will
be parts with brighter colors though.
 The scene where Brutus first sees the ghost of Julius, should be paired with a
ghostly green light/tone. This will invoke a scary feeling within the audience.
 The wars mood can also be shown by the light. To show chaos, the lights
could quickly change from one color to another. (Dark red to gray…gray to
purple…. Use gloomy colors)

14. Time and Place
 Color, shade, and intensity of light help suggest the time of the play.
 Since the play is a tragedy, the lights of indoor scenes will be mostly
gloomy.
 The parts of the play the occur outside will have lighting that corresponds
to the time of day.
 During a sunset, colors like orange, yellow, and red will used to set the
mood.
 Obviously scenes that occur at night will have little light and stars in the
ceiling/background.

15. Rhythm
 It is important for light changes from scene to scene help establish the kind
of rhythm and timing that the director needs for the audience to be drawn
back into the action.
 Abrupt, staccato changes with blackouts will unsettle and audience.
 Slow fades and gradual cross fades allow for more thoughtful transitions.
 Since the play has scenes that build off each other, we will have slow fade
outs after each scene. This will give the audience time to think and also
foreshadow future events.

16. Reinforcement of central image
 The lighting must be consistent with the overall style and mood of
the play.
 Since this play has several locations where parts occur, it is
important to make sure we have a smooth transition from our types
of lighting.
 When things are occurring outdoors, we will have natural colors that
show the play is outside. When things are occurring inside, we will
have things like candles and oil lamps.

17. Set Design
 Creating an environment for the performers and for the performance:
 In creating the environment, extravagant and flamboyant visuals are made
as a spectacle for the audience to marvel.
 In Julius Caesar, majestic chariots, traditional architecture, and traditional
clothing stand to amuse the crowd and give actors the freedom to interact
with them. Set design in this play is, however, limited and has a subtle
presence most of the time.
 The person responsible for such aesthetic components is the scene
designer.

18. Set Design
 Helping set the mood and style of the production:
 In the tragedy, Julius Caesar, the scenery is mostly straightforward. The set
helps to convey the solemn theme when complemented with proper
lighting.
 Designers should establish the mood and style through architectural
shapes, colors, fabrics, furniture, and other elements.
 In the play, though only few are used, set pieces invoke a sense of
seriousness.

19. Set Design
 Helping distinguish realistic from non-realistic theatre
 Realistic theatre calls for settings that are identical to their real life
counterparts.
 Nonrealistic theatre gives all creative freedom to the designer, and the use
of important symbols.
 In Julius Caesar, the realistic theatre design style supports the visual and
thematic components of the play. It effectively conveyed the lifestyle and
individual traits of each dynamic character.

20. Set Design
 Establishing the locale and period in which the play takes place
 The set should make evident the time period by displaying technologies or
iconic items to that time.
 Characters who also interact with set items can also give greater depth to
their personality and intentions.
 In Julius Caesar, the dagger Brutus used indicates the weaponry of the
time. Chariots also showed the progress of the times and luxury of Caesar.

21. Set Design
 Evolving a design concept with the director and other designers
 The design concept is a unifying idea carried out visually.
 In depicting a time or place change in the play, the design concept is
especially important.
 In Julius Caesar, the design concept for stage setting was related to the
central image of deceit and betrayal. the few designs in the stage settings
can relate back to the central image of deceit. The same dagger Brutus
would use to defend the Roman Empire, was paradoxically used on his own
friend and Roman victor, Julius Caesar.

22. Set Design
 Where appropriate, providing a central image or visual metaphor for the
production.
 The elements of design- lines, shapes, and colors add up to whole that is a
motif through the play. It can also give greater weight to an underlying
message.
 The Chariot in Julius Caesar represents the power struggle throughout the
play. As the wheels turn, so does the cycle of power.

23. Set Design
 Ensuring that the scenery is coordinated with other production elements.
 The directors concept is applied throughout the set designing/interaction
process. Elements from the play remain consistent.
 If the script and acting are realistic, the setting should not dominate the
attention; if the script and acting are fictional, the setting should be
extravagant and bold.
 The settings in Julius Caesar seldom dominate the script and acting. It is
consistent in sustaining a mood of seriousness.

24. Set Design
 Solving practical design problems.
In a play like Julius Caesar, a thrust stage would be most effective for the
performance. Props would be limited due to the already small size
constrictions of the thrust stage. The limited amount of props help to
complement- rather than overpower, the strength of the script and acting. In
such a play, it is more effective for an actor to bring in the prop (rocks, dagger,
etc.), than to have it set up in the background.

25. Director:
Script
 We have chosen the script Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare.
 The original play was written and performed in 1599.

26. Director:
Casting
 Julius Caesar – Johnny Depp
 Brutus – Orlando Bloom
 Antony – Leonardo Dicaprio
 Cassius – Vin Diesel
 Octavius – Will Arnett
 Casca – Colin O’Donoghue
 Calpurnia – Angelina Jolie
 Portia – Kira Knightley
 Flavius – Tom Hanks
 Cicero – Brad Pitt
 Lepidus – Robert Downey Jr.
 Murellus – Christian Bale
 Decius - Matt Damon

27. Director:
Spine of the Play
 In Julius Caesar, there many spines in this play. A major one is deceit.
 Caesar thought Brutus was his friend but Brutus deceived him by killing him.
 Brutus was also deceived by Cassius. Cassius convinced Brutus to turn on Caesar
just so he wouldn’t get all the blame for it.
 Another spine would be hatred.
 The conspirators hated Caesar for rising up to power. With all the hatred, they
wanted to kill him.
 After Antony gave a speech, the crowd turned on the conspirators. Their houses
were burned and they were killed.

28. Director:
Style of the play
 The style of Julius Caesar is realism. A kind of realism that is presented in the
play is naturalism.
 The play is presented to be as real as possible.
 The use of realistic Roman replica weapons were present.
 With deceit as a spine of the play, realism will help show the deceitfulness
more thoroughly throughout the play.
 With hatred, you will be able to see the hatred that is present between the
characters more clearly if realism is present.

29. Director:
Directoral Concept
 This play will take place in ancient Rome around 45 B.C.
 This play is a Roman play that talks about what happens after the death of
Julius Caesar. Brutus and Cassius plot against Caesar to kill him. After the
act has been done, Antony gave a speech which led to Caesar’s followers
killing the conspirators.
 The purpose of this play is to honor Julius Caesar and acknowledge what
he has done. Also, let people know what happened after his death and
how if affected everyone.