The most risky and transgressive version of 'Julio César' opens the Mérida Theater Festival

"I'm talking to you on Telegram so as not to leave a trace."

If

had been sitting last night on the steps of the Roman Theater in Mérida, as just another spectator, watching this 'Julius César' with which the Mérida Festival raised the curtain on its 68th edition

when he had heard this and other similar dialogues.

Nor is it necessary to travel back in time to 1599 - the date on which he probably wrote his most famous tragedy inspired by real events - to put himself in the mind of the English playwright.

Up to six times throughout its long history (next year marks its 90th anniversary) the Merida event had staged the abrupt and bloody conspiracy against the famous Roman emperor and the ambitions that surrounded him: absolute power, corruption, betrayal, friendship or disloyalty.

From the first version by

to the last by

-including

and even a version with opera and ballet (1966)-, none of them had been so

like that of the Argentine

who is also the director of the scene.

This 'Julio César' will not leave anyone indifferent, for better or for worse, like everything that supposes a bet as different as it is absolutely groundbreaking and revolutionary.

And not only because of the text, which by the way, in its plot line, respects not only the spirit of the English playwright but also a good part of the reality of the deterioration of Roman institutions, the corruption of the Republic and the devastating power of Caesar turned into tyrant king.

But leaving that aside, with that plot line that leads almost faithfully to the real events that occurred in the nearly hour and a half that the work lasts, the rest of the sections have absolutely nothing to do with the story.

And he does not fool anyone for it.

From the beginning, it makes it clear to the viewer that the events take place

in case someone still hadn't noticed from the first minute, when a rap version bursts in, one of the many that are performed, especially in the first part of the work.

The scenery is taken by the latest technology, with large visual screens, a sign of identity that invades each of the protagonists and in each scene, in the image and likeness of what happens in any home, square, subway or street anywhere in the world. world in every second of our lives, and let's not mention young people, with the blessed cell phone (the cell phone, in the mouth of the Argentine actors, all of them, by the way, very accomplished and effective in their choral representation).

And it is precisely in them where this total overturning of this iconic and different Shakespeare takes place, so many times also represented in historical films that are in our memory.

That makes

and produces a real clash of mixed feelings in the viewer.

With an irreverent point, but at the same time comic and without losing good taste,

the work is fresh in rhythm, with an exchange of real roles between men and women that leads the viewer to a deep reflection on gender inequality and above all , what would have happened throughout history, and how would we have gotten here (surely in a different way), if power had really been exercised by women while men had remained submissive in their homes.

The representation of the famous politician, soldier and Roman emperor continues to maintain, of course, the name of Julius Caesar -a man- but because of the Argentine diva

a popular presenter and actress in her country, who stands out in a preponderant role, much more than the one that the English playwright gave to his own (male) protagonist.

But the rest of the cast also shines, above the musical numbers, or the music to the rhythm of

.

Brutus does it, how could it be otherwise, Marco Antonio (Julius Caesar's lover, without complexes) and the rest of the protagonists who, in one way or another, conspired, after loving him and deifying him, to end up finishing, with their hands and carrying knives, with the life of the tyrant.

The entire plot is followed to the rhythm of social networks ("I recognize your profile picture a mile away", "I have a legion of trolls"...) in such a modern language and in such a youthful atmosphere (trap) that it would trap our own children.

But, let's not forget, that is the packaging, marketing does allow expression, because the truly profound thing about the work, the direct message it wants to convey, far above the transvestism of its characters, is the treatment,

that for much of history, even today, has been given to women and their struggle to free themselves from a role set in advance, by customs, by culture.

Let's not stay with the anecdote of the artistic 'hermaphrotidism' of this bisexual breakup Julius Caesar, which is true that he

also the current one, they underline, because the ambition for the supreme power, money or sex has no gender when you reach the top and temptations arise.

And that has not changed over the centuries, since Roman times, no matter how much social networks have now appeared, go with sunglasses, travel by Uber or Cabify, spend the whole night watching Netflix series, drink 'Aperol', or upload the images "quickly to TikTok".

Cornelia, the woman (or was the man) of Julius Caesar, already says it, after he died, when he appears in one of the stands next to the public:

And with advances, more would be missing, that has not been solved either, since Julius Caesar, 21 centuries later.

There is time for it, and works like this help.

Even if it were just for that, it's worth watching, even if it breaks with the tradition of a Roman classic... For that we have the opportunity to see it on TV, or rather, on Neflix.

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