LA GRANDE — Leaders will rise and fall in the Schwarz Theater at Eastern Oregon University this month in performances of William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” part of the Summer Shakespeare Festival.

One of Shakespeare’s Roman plays, “Julius Caesar” begins with Caesar as the leader of Rome and a plot to overthrow him. As the plot progresses, Caesar is assassinated and those who remain must handle the consequences.

Kevin Cahill plays the title character.

“It’s kind of fun. I get to be a larger-than-life character,” he said. “I think the line he walks is really interesting. He has earned the love of the people; they love him — or at least they do now, the affections of the people are fickle — but he also seems aware there is an opportunity for him to gain even more power than he already has. I think he’s a pretty smart guy but his blind spot is Brutus.”

Cahill played Brutus in a performance in the past and used the play to demonstrate rhetoric as a teacher, so he said it is interesting to see the play from multiple perspectives. In this performance, Liberty O’Dell plays Brutus.

“Brutus is a fascinating character. He is a very emotionally disconnected character. He sees the world in very stark contrast, and what he believes to be true must be the truth, and he argues from that perspective,” O’Dell said. “He’s like an analyst that talks about public opinion, but when he’s brought in to actually change public opinion — he just fails. He makes these mistakes because in his mind it will play out in a certain path and it just doesn’t because public opinion is fickle.”

Director Grant Turner said the play highlights the fatal flaws and stark differences through characters like Caesar and Brutus and Marc Anthony, played by Hunter Adams. Turner said the two plays of this year’s Shakespeare Festival — “Julius Caesar” and “Coriolanus” — also have a lot of opportunities to compare and contrast.

“Come see the two shows in tandem. I think it’s fascinating,” Turner said.

From “Et tu, Brute,” to “Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war,” quotes from Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” are often part of popular culture. Seeing Julius Caesar live allows the audience to see how those quotes fit into Shakespeare’s classic.

“It is one of those stepstones that most people are familiar with in some way,” Cahill said. “It’s a pretty accessible storyline of ambition, betrayal, and the tragic unfolding of the consequences. People can figure out what is going on.”

Curtain times for “Julius Caesar” are 7:30 p.m. on July 18 and 20, and 6 p.m. on July 21 at Eastern Oregon University. Tickets are $20. Also, discount passes are $30, which features admission to “Julius Caesar” and “Coriolanus.” To purchase tickets or view showtimes, visit theatreintheronde.square.site.