JULIUS CAESAR

The challenge of Julius Caesar isn't just historical; it is intensely political. The play's primary scenes address civic virtue; their success depends on their communicating the conflicting currents in Caesar's very lively Rome (and Shakespeare's equally active England). Happily, this production succeeds in all of these areas. The entire cast is strong, and Adrian Lester plays Mark Antony with genuine power. Even if you've heard it before, his delivery of the famous "Friends, Romans, countrymen" speech should stop you in your tracks. What's more, the potentially confusing crowd scenes aren't merely clear (listeners can actually tell who's speaking) but work dramatically, an achievement that isn't easy in audio productions. G.T.B. [Selection from The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare set.] (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 04]