Theatre students will continue to hit the stage this weekend to plot murder, converse with witches and rise to power in one of William Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedies: “Macbeth.”
The actors paced around the stage in elaborate costumes, employed the use of projection and created an otherworldly background and caused the audience to gasp at every kill. But it wasn’t initially this easy to create a stunning performance.
Professor of theatre studies and directing Ann Folino White, who directed “Macbeth,” said every other year the department does these classical productions to challenge students in a different way than realism challenges them.
She said students and audiences are often intimidated by the classical language of Shakespeare. As a director, she focused on treating the play like any other, telling the story in a way that was relatable.
“We try as theater artists to make that poetry seem human,” White said. “To make it seem as if it were ordinary speech.”
White said she didn’t want the actors to know only the literal meaning of Shakespeare’s language. She wanted them to get accustomed to the emotional meaning as well.
For theatre graduates Andy Head and Sarah Goeke, who play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, respectively, this is their final show at MSU.
Goeke said she feels as though she’s being inducted into being an actor after arriving at MSU with little acting experience. She added that graduating with her masters in acting is a huge accomplishment.
“For the two of us to have done this show together at the end of our time has been a really great experience,” Head said.
Goeke said her character was a challenge because it’s such a powerful and sensual role and is usually played by someone much older.
“I was worried going into it, but doing the research and getting used to the language has been really fulfilling,” Goeke said.
She said a Shakespearean play requires a whole new way of thinking. To help learn her lines, Goeke said she used her experience in musical theater, likening the language to music to understand it.
Head said the biggest challenge for him was breaking the stereotypes that surrounded his character.
He said since the play is about 400 years old, it’s been done countless times. This presents audience assumptions that an actor doesn’t have to fight in a modern play.
“Anyone who is familiar with Shakespeare’s plays already has an idea of who that character is,” Head said.
In order to make their production unique, Head said they worked at dissolving the idea of Lady Macbeth as a villain. Instead, he said they put the marriage between the characters at the center.
“They’re equal partners, and they both need each other and help each other and are climbing this social ladder together,” Head said.
Because the characters are young in their version, Head said the show can be more relatable to a student audience.
White said at the play’s core is the belief people hold that they are owed something.
“They do these terrible deeds to get to that position but they don’t hold themselves responsible ... rather than taking accountability for their actions,” White said. “So I think that’s very relatable to all of us.”
