Cornell’s Theatre Department puts a new spin on Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’
You might know the story of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” but the Cornell College Department of Theater and Dance is putting a twist on this 400-year-old show.
“The show will be a highly physical production, utilizing several different types of dance and movement styles,” said Director and Visiting Artist in Theatre Patrick DuLaney. “There are also lots of surprises in store about the way we’re staging it in Kimmel Theatre on Cornell’s campus! We encourage everyone to come and find out what we have planned.”
“Macbeth,” thought to have been first performed in the early 1600s, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. The story follows Macbeth, a Scottish general, who receives a prophecy from three witches that he’ll become the King of Scotland. Macbeth ends up murdering the king at the time, King Duncan, and takes the Scottish throne where he becomes overcome by guilt and paranoia and finds himself in a continual loop of atrocities and murder to maintain his power.
“This show is really exciting because we’re taking ‘Macbeth’ in an extremely fresh direction,” said first-year Cornell student Finn Hunter, who plays Ross, a loyal supporter of King Duncan. “The show is always grabbing your attention, and surprising you in every scene.”
DuLaney said the performance will make audiences think as it creates big questions for the characters.
“This play deals with questions of the importance or value we place on leaving a legacy, to be remembered after we’re gone,” DuLaney said. “The play also asks: Is our fate really our own, or are we at the mercy of the circumstances that surround us? These are the questions that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth grapple with.”
The show will be performed seven times, and audiences can reserve tickets online. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $12 for students and seniors. Cornell faculty, staff, and students get in free with their Cornell ID.
Thursday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 26, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 27, at 1 p.m.
Sunday, April 28, at 2 p.m.
Thursday, May 2, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 4, at 2 p.m.
The show’s cast consists of 16 Cornell students, a Cornell staff member, and four community members. Plus, about 20 students make the show come alive from backstage through scenery, props, stage management, and costumes.
Ellieza Barth, who plays Lady Macduff, is looking forward to sharing what she has learned through the performance of “Macbeth.”
“I’m super excited to be in this show because I took the block class where we did a deep dive into the text and through that I realized I really enjoy Shakespeare,” Barth said. “I’ve learned so much about the deep meaning in the text and how nothing Shakespeare does is on accident.”
Parking is available in the lot behind the theatre at the corner of College Boulevard and Summit Avenue. This show is for mature audiences.
