Caesar’s Maze: Will We Ever Find a Way Out?

Contemporary Legend Theatre’s latest production, Caesar’s Maze, adapts a Shakespearean classic from over four centuries ago. Yet, its themes remain strikingly relevant today, as Caesar “bleeds” repeatedly in a world scarred by war and suffering.

Sense of Wander: ★★★★★

Wu Hsing-kuo stars as Caesar, caught up in a conspiracy by patrician senators, ultimately leading to his death. Image courtesy of Contemporary Legend Theatre.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — I’m not a Shakespeare fan, so when I first heard about Contemporary Legend Theatre’s Caesar’s Maze, I wasn’t really interested. However, an inevitable force drew me to check the play’s showtimes and purchase a ticket on the eve of its final performance in Taipei. To my surprise, by the end of the play, I felt a tingling sensation in every cell of my body. And I’ll tell you why.

Premiering under the title Julius Caesar at the 2024 Hong Kong Arts Festival this spring, Caesar’s Maze is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic. Although the script is based on a work more than four centuries old, Caesar’s Maze feels strikingly relevant to today’s world.

On Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

Back in high school, we were required to read one Shakespeare play each academic year for our English class. I’ve read The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Othello, and Hamlet, but never Julius Caesar. My lack of interest in Shakespeare’s works didn’t motivate me to read this classic for leisure, so I had to learn about its story before watching Caesar’s Maze.

William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is a tragedy that explores the political intrigue and moral dilemmas surrounding the assassination of Julius Caesar, a hero beloved by Roman citizens.

Set in ancient Rome, the play delves into the complex relationships and power struggles among key figures like Brutus, Cassius, and Mark Antony. As Caesar’s ambition threatens the Republic, conspirators, led by Cassius and later joined by Caesar’s friend Brutus, plot his murder to save Rome from tyranny. The assassination leads to chaos and civil war, culminating in a powerful exploration of loyalty, honour, and the devastating consequences of political ambition.

Most people might think that Contemporary Legend Theatre’s latest production is simply an adaptation of the story, but there’s so much more to it.

Caesar’s Maze is the theatre’s sixth production of a Shakespearean classic. Featuring Peking opera artist Wu Hsing-kuo and Kunqu artist Zhang Jun, this adaptation hints at a blend of Western and Eastern performing arts traditions.

Known for being a rebel — or avant-garde, depending on your perspective — in the Chinese operatic traditions, Wu Hsing-kuo, founder of Contemporary Legend Theatre and also the Director, Artistic Director and playwright of Caesar’s Maze, has set a new standard with this production. Why? Read on to find out.

Zhang Jun stars as the Poet, reflecting on the rise and fall of history. Image courtesy of Contemporary Legend Theatre.

In Caesar’s Maze

Caesar’s Maze opens with a traveller encountering the Poet. “Magnificent was the palace; nor sooner did a man fall, then he was replaced by another,” the Poet reminisces over history’s rise and fall. This seemingly passing remark foreshadows not only the fate of Rome, but also of a story that resonates in today’s world, as we shall see later.

The Poet, portrayed by Zhang Jun, returns as Brutus, who witnesses Romans celebrating Julius Caesar’s triumphant return. Caesar’s growing popularity among the citizens breeds resentment among the patrician senators. Cassius, one of the senators, urges Brutus, a hero of Rome, to join the plot to assassinate the ambitious and power-hungry Caesar, preventing him from declaring himself emperor and thus upholding the Roman Republic. Though initially hesitant, Brutus makes up his mind after being appalled by Mark Antony’s attempt to crown Caesar.

Zhang Jun stars as Brutus, a key figure in the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar. Image courtesy of Contemporary Legend Theatre.

Despite the soothsayer’s warning on the eve of the incident, Caesar — making his first appearance on stage, portrayed by Wu Hsing-kuo with his face painted in glittering gold — attends a council meeting on the Ides of March. During this meeting, he is brutally stabbed by the senators. After a final blow from his trusted general Brutus, Caesar dies with a broken heart.

Many might wonder how Eastern elements are integrated into an adaptation inspired by a Western narrative. Although the story is Western, the two main actors bring a rich Eastern influence. Wu Hsing-kuo, a renowned Peking opera performer, and Zhang Jun, a celebrated Kunqu opera artist, infuse their unique styles into the production, creating a unique blend of East and West.

Every word they speak and every move and gesture seen in Caesar’s Maze are grounded in decades of training in Chinese operatic traditions. It’s also fascinating how the two leading actors each inhabit three distinct roles: Wu Hsing-kuo portrays Caesar, Cassius, and Antony, blending the refined artistry of the laoshen (“old man”) and jing (“painted face”) roles into his characters. Notably, the latter is adopted to depict Caesar, employing a robust voice and exaggerated gestures to convey the tragic hero’s might and prowess.

In the mean time, Zhang Jun portrays Brutus, the Poet, and the soothsayer, infusing the roles with the nuanced qualities of xiaoshen (“young man”) characters, whether civil or martial in nature.

Unlike traditional Chinese opera, which typically features music rooted in Xipi and Erhuang styles, the score for Caesar’s Maze, composed by Xu Shuya, is distinctly contemporary.

When categorizing the genre of the play, Wu Hsing-kuo described it as “opera” rather than “traditional Chinese opera,” highlighting its innovative blend of styles and influences, as well as its departure from Chinese operatic traditions.

Drawing on his training in peking opera, Wu Hsing-kuo assumes the jing role (also known as hualian, or “painted face”), employing a robust voice and exaggerated gestures to portray the might and prowess of Julius Caesar. Image courtesy of Contemporary Legend Theatre.

To appease the anger of the Romans following Caesar’s death, Brutus proclaimed “I love Caesar, but I loved Rome more,” as if justifying his actions. He then allowed Antony to deliver his famous eulogy, who skillfully swayed public sentiment to sympathise with Caesar and vow vengeance for the fallen hero. This eventually sparked a civil war between Antony and Brutus.

Up to this point, Caesar’s Maze unfolds as a conventional adaptation of the Shakespearean classic, recounting the story with visually-stimulating multimedia projections that evoke the grandeur of ancient Rome. I thought this was all, but here comes the surprise.

In Scene 8, titled “Chasm,” we see Brutus restless in bed while Cassius confesses his fears. After bidding his final farewell, Cassius ironically reflects on how throughout history, heroes have often been wronged, despite his own role as a conspirator in Caesar’s demise. Standing atop the pedestal, Cassius repeats his farewell phrase before taking his own life, each iteration infused with escalating emotion that culminates in a climax that sent literal shivers down my spine. It was at this moment that, for the first time since the play began, the audience erupted in applause. But this wasn’t the end.

In the final scene, titled “Spectre,” the Poet traverses epochs to announce Cassius’ death. Emotionally restless, Brutus encounters the ghost of Caesar on the Ides of March, the day of Caesar’s downfall. Caught in this infinite loop, we see how the ghost of Caesar finally engages in a debate — an opportunity he was never offered — with Brutus.

Caesar’s pride and autocratic tendencies contrast with Brutus’ idealism and profound sense of loyalty. This heated debate over the empire versus the republic underscores their differing visions for what was best for Rome. Despite their shared love for Rome, its people, and each other, their political differences ultimately lead to tragedy — neither was superior to the other, just differing in perspective.

Caesar’s Maze takes a rather surprising turn in its conclusion. The traveller, often serving as an observer and witness to the rise and fall of Rome throughout the play, returns to the stage to deliver a poignant remark:

“How many ages hence
Shall this our lofty scene be acted over
In states unborn and accents yet unknown

Many an eminent actor shall replay this scene
And Caesar will still bleed, time and again”

This deeply moving statement recalls the Questions to Heaven attributed to the poet Qu Yuan (c. 340 BC–278 BC), verses that pose helpless questions to Heaven, underscoring humanity’s smallness in the vast universe.

Starring Wu Hsing-kuo, Mark Antony takes up the mantle of the fallen Caesar and delivers a eulogy honoring Rome’s hero. Image courtesy of Contemporary Legend Theatre.

While delivering this remark, paintings and photographs depicting wars, suffering, and famine are projected onto the backdrop. With each repetition of the recitation, layers of emotion accumulate, adding weight to the historic power and struggle unfolding before us.

It’s unsettling to realise that Shakespeare’s prophecy has tragically come true: not only has Julius Caesar been performed on stages and screens in numerous languages, but similar scenarios have also played out in the real world.

After repeating the passage three times, the traveller proceeds with a fourth — and final — recitation, this time in a much more agitated tone, as if urging the audience to introspect. “If you have ever waved flags, shouted slogans at a rally, or recklessly thrown stones, then you have also been part of this tragedy,” the traveller adds.

Reflecting on the traveller’s poignant words, I couldn’t help pondering the phrase, “Caesar will still bleed, time and again.” The “Caesar” mentioned here could be anyone — including you and me. It serves as a metaphor for the collective victims struggling to survive amid war crimes, suggesting that we all exist within an endless cycle of tragedy.

Lost in contemplation, I was startled by a lightning strike that hit the stage, plunging it into total darkness. It felt as though the traveller, too, had become a victim, following in Caesar’s footstep.

“If you have ever waved flags or shouted slogans in a rally, and recklessly thrown stones, then you have also been part of this tragedy.”

Break Away from the Loop of Tragedy

It’s inevitable that many people, knowingly or unknowingly, have been part of greater tragedies throughout history. But unlike Julius Caesar, whose name is immortalised and serves as inspiration for playwrights, countless other unnamed heroes have fallen without recognition or commemoration in the annals of history.

Looking at current global events, numerous nameless Caesars fall every second, particularly in ongoing conflicts like the Russian-Ukrainian and Israeli-Gaza wars. Similar to Julius Caesar’s fate, these conflicts only lead to destruction and disintegration. It’s fascinating how William Shakespeare foresaw that history would repeat itself time and again. As Italian philosopher Benedetto Croce noted, “All history is contemporary history.”

Wu Hsing-kuo shared in his post-performance talk that despite not being politically inclined, this global chaos urged him to take action, inspiring the creation of Caesar’s Maze. Bi-qi Beatrice Li, Founding Chair of the Asian Shakespeare Association and co-playwright of the play, pointed out that eliminating Caesar does not eradicate dictatorship and populism; rather, it creates a power vacuum for the next Caesar to rise.

The staging of Caesar’s Maze in Taiwan, amid political tensions, provides an opportunity for reflection on local politics and society. Despite outward optimism, deep-seated worries and concerns persist among its citizens.

Certainly, no one wishes to see Caesar bleed on this land now or in the future. Like many in the audience, I hope the tragedy of the fallen hero and republic remains confined to the theatre stage, under the spotlight, and does not become a grim reality.

While the future remains uncertain, Contemporary Legend Theatre has made a Shakespearean classic more accessible to audiences. This may perhaps be the only silver lining we can hang onto amidst the tragedies unfolding both onstage and in the real world.

Contemporary Legend Theatre staged Caesar’s Maze at the National Theatre in Taipei from June 14 to 16, 2024.