Korilyn Hendricks
  • Theatre Arts
  • Class of 2018
  • Aynor, SC

Korilyn Hendricks lands role in all-female version of 'Julius Caesar' at CCU

2018 Mar 30

The whole gang of conspirators - Brutus, Cassius, Antony and the rest - are portrayed by women in Coastal Carolina University Department of Theatre's production of William Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar."

In this production, however, the action is predicated upon a unique premise: It occurs within a dystopian reality in which all characters are played by female warriors. A cadre of riot girls takes the stage to commence the show, searching for signs of life in a compromised world. Within the first 10 minutes, they discover a printed version of the drama among the ruins and decide to put on the play.

Korilyn Hendricks, a Theatre Arts major from Aynor, SC, is among the cast members.

Director Gwendolyn Schwinke, associate professor in the Department of Theatre, decided on this fresh take for the production for practical as well as conceptual reasons.

"I was trying to think of shows for women, because we have more women in our department than men, but most theatrical literature has more roles for men than it does for women," Schwinke said. "I kept that in mind with my background in studies within the work of Shakespeare. Women have more stories to tell other than just falling in love, so why not give them that opportunity through one of Shakespeare's most politically charged plays?"

Schwinke follows a short tradition in her approach to the drama; the all-female "Julius Caesar" has been done before in recent years at theaters in New York and London, employing a variety of contextual situations. Schwinke believes the timing is right for a digressive approach to the legendary tale.

"I was considering what shows were topical to today's environment, and the story of a dysfunctional government and what happens when there's a dictator who is overthrown is really interesting. I think there are a number of parallels that can be highlighted, but what I appreciate about 'Julius Caesar' in particular is how it looks at what occurs when individuals think they solve the problem with violence, and what ensues from that action."