In November 1864, an all-star, benefit performance of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar went up in the Winter Garden Theatre in New York. That one-night show raised funds for a statue of the Bard in Central Park, which stands to this day. Five months later, one of those famous actors snuck into another East Coast theater and shot President Lincoln in the head. As thespian Booth leapt away from the scene of his crime, he yelled, "Sic semper tyrannis," a Latin phrase meaning, "Thus ever to tyrants!" That self-justifying phrase was said to have been first uttered by a senator of the Roman Republic, Marcus Brutus, as he aided in ventilating Julius Caesar. A century later, Timothy McVeigh wore a T-shirt bearing the slogan as he perpetrated the Oklahoma City bombing. Ain't history fascinatin'?

No, it turns out; not always. The first hour of Animal Fire Theatre's al fresco Julius Caesar is Shakespearean Sominex. Director Jenny Greenlee chose a noteworthy concept, pitching her battle tent on a sculptural corner of Olympia's Capitol campus rather than the scrappy troupe's usual haunt, the muddier, more skeeter-y Priest Point Park. (Bring a cushion.) Unfortunately, she doesn't get much mileage from the comparison. Unlike Syrians, Egyptians, or Elizabethans, most of us don't lay awake nights dreading massive political upheaval. Not that Shakespeare's metaphor wasn't muddled from the start, mind you - he dresses Caesar in doublets and mixes up battles and dates - but his associations are clearer.

The play has dozens of speaking characters, all with monikers that sound like STDs. AFT's production has a cast of only twelve, clad in contemporary casual drab. I found myself consulting my program numerous times throughout the show to even guess which actor was playing whom when. It leads to inadvertent silliness, as the same mob of actors who assassinated Caesar 10 minutes ago rise up in righteous indignation against ... themselves. I kept waiting for someone to cry, "Caesar shall be avenged ... Get us!"

That's not to say there isn't laudable work on display. Scott Douglas makes a vivid impression as Caesar, though his title character appears in only a few scenes. Shakespeare's actual protagonist is Marcus Brutus, played ably here by Katy Dixon. (I quite liked the gender-blind aspects of Greenlee's production, which added rich new dimensions to several relationships.) Outdoor theater favors bass-baritones, an acoustic obstacle that plays to Ryan Holmberg's volume and clarity as Brutus' co-conspirator, Gaius Cassius. Perhaps the real story of AFT's Caesar, though, is the obvious growth of actors Erik Mark and Christopher Rocco, folks who came up through shows like TAO's Titus Andronicus to find spotlights in this one.

It's not a weak show, just middling. But it's free, and besides, it's golden-hour Shakespeare. These summer AFT productions are a luxury for Oly actors and theatergoers.

JULIUS CAESAR, 6:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday, through Aug. 4, Water Garden near the Korean War Memorial, Capitol Campus east of Capitol Way, Olympia, free but donations accepted, 360.296.5714