Epic sword fights, secret plots to gain power, a prophecy that determines the hero’s fate, what more can you ask for? As the weekend approaches, Rexburg Community Theatre is excited to put on one of Shakespeare’s most infamous plays, “Macbeth.” The Shakespeare in the Park event promises an evening filled with drama, intrigue and amazing entertainment.
For those unfamiliar with the tale or are in need of a refresher since reading the play back in high school, “Macbeth” is a tragic story with themes of ambition, power and fate. Our tragic hero, Macbeth, is told of a prophecy by three witches where he will become the next great king of Scotland. Spurred by his wife’s manipulations, he murders King Duncan to ascend to the throne, but consumed by his guilt and paranoia, Macbeth quickly descends into madness. Having made many enemies, it all leads to his downfall as the son of King Duncan decides to take back the throne.
Director Lucas Buchanan has been preparing the cast and crew for the epic performance but has had to face a couple challenges along the way. Being an outdoor performance, the recent rain and thunderstorms have been a slight bump in the road for the rehearsal process. But nothing has deterred the participants from doing their best and they are all still excited to perform what they’ve been working on.
“One thing I would want people to walk away with from Macbeth, is being able to draw their own conclusions because as in any arts, literature or any sort of media, the story is what you get out of it,” Buchanan said in an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio. “There will be lots of parallels to present day, to your own life, to the world at large. And I’d hope people would come with the preparation to learn.”
Actor Andrew Sparks, who plays Macbeth, can’t wait to debut his interpretation of the famous role. He originally auditioned with a monologue from “King Lear” and was ecstatic to hear he had gotten the part. He wasn’t originally a big fan of Shakespeare’s work, but after reading and watching more of his plays, he quickly fell in love.
“Shakespeare is not boring,” Sparks said. “If you don’t get Shakespeare, I promise you’ll understand it through the emotions that are conveyed and through the body language and facial expressions. If you do like Shakespeare, it’s a wonderful show.”
The actress for Lady Macbeth, Amanda Newman, is also excited to show everyone what she’s been working on. Newman finds Lady Macbeth an interesting character, even though a lot of the time she’s seen as the real villain of the story. But Newman believes there is a lot more to her than meets the eye. In Newman’s opinion, she believes that Lady Macbeth really is just a scorned mother who lost her child while her husband was at war. This perspective into the character really helped Newman better understand her and how to better present her on stage.
“(I hope people) just get familiar, introduced to Shakespeare. I personally love Macbeth,” Newman said. “Hopefully this may inspire you to read more of his plays. Though he lived centuries ago, he did have a knack for writing the common threads between humanity throughout the centuries.”
Performances are on June 5, 6 and 8. They will be held at Porter Park, beginning at 7 p.m. The performances are free to any who would like to watch. The performances are expected to last about an hour and a half so to ensure your comfort, audiences are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets.
Although the event is free, Rexburg Community Theatre does accept donations so they can continue to put on amazing shows for everyone to see. If you would like to support the arts and make a donation, you can donate online through RCT’s website, rexburgcommunitytheater.com, and specify that the contribution is for Shakespeare in the Park.