Earlier this month in New York a production of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” depicted a Caesar complete with fluffy, golden hair and a very long, red, necktie. This obvious nod to President Donald Trump caused anguish and action. Ticket buyers clashed with each other, and major financial promoters withdrew their support.
The question seemed to be: just how far can theater go? Especially when the President in this play comes to a bloody, violent end.
For this month’s Artscape, Rhode Island Public Radio’s Bill Gale asked two leaders from the theater community to weigh in on this controversy. Tyler Dubrowski, assistant artistic director at Trinity Rep and Tony Estrella, artistic director of the Gamm Theater.