DETROIT -William Shakespeare's timeless tragedy Macbeth opens the Hilberry Theatre's 51st season in Midtown Detroit. Playing September 20 through October 12, 2013, Shakespeare's celebrated work is a riveting tale of greed and the lust for power; complete with jaw-dropping fight scenes and a bold cast of characters. Tickets for Macbeth range from $12-$30 and are available by calling the Hilberry Theatre Box Office at (313) 577-2972, online at Hilberry.com, or by visiting the box office at 4743 Cass Avenue on the corner of Hancock Street.
Considered to be one of Shakespeare's darkest tragedies, Macbeth is believed to have been written between 1603 and 1607. Macbeth, played by Miles Boucher, is a Scottish nobleman who kills King Duncan of Scotland and rules the country until he is killed in vengeance for his misdeeds. Duncan's murder, and its effects on Macbeth and on Scotland, are the central elements of the play. Conscious of the evil his ambition has given rise to, Macbeth falls prey to the equal resolve of his wife, played by Annie Keris, and the supernatural powers of the Witches who convince Macbeth that he cannot be killed by any mortal, ultimately bringing him to his doom.
In his fourth turn at bringing Macbeth to the stage, guest director Paul Mason Barnes brings a highly-lauded directorial background to the Hilberry, with recent works including Twelfth Night (Great River Shakespeare Festival), Romeo and Juliet (Nevada Conservatory Theatre at UNLV), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Great River Shakespeare Festival), The Comedy of Errors (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), Annie (Pioneer Theatre Company), and Macbeth (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis).
Barnes provides a traditional interpretation of Macbeth for Hilberry audiences that honors the author and makes this classic understandable for playgoers of all ages. Complete with witches, ghosts, apparitions, moving forests, severed heads, sleepwalking, and nail-biting stage combat, Barnes vision of Shakespeare's riveting tale hurtles us headlong to its conclusion, with lots of bloodshed along the way.
Photo: Annie Keris (Lady Macbeth), Miles Boucher (Macbeth)
Photo Credit: Maxwell Bolton
Cast (in alphabetical order):
Alec Barbour (Malcolm, Apparition King 5) , Megan Barbour (Lady Macdduff, Witch 2), Miles Boucher (Macbeth), Danielle Cochrane (Witch 3), Mike Fisher (Bloody Captain, Porter, Seyton, Apparition King 4, Murderer 1), Nancy Florkowski (Gentlewoman to Lady Macbeth), Brandon Grantz (Lennox), Brent Griffith (Macduff, Apparition King 2), Annie Keris (Lady Macbeth, Messenger), Colin Mallory (Fleance, Apparition King 7), Sarah Hawkins Moan (Witch 1), Shane Nelson (Donalbain, Murderer 2, Attendant, Apparition King 6), Topher Payne (Banquo, Caithness), Chris Peterson (Messenger, Attendant), Brandy Joe Plambeck (Duncan, Menteith, Apparition King 1, Scottish Doctor), Tiaja Sabrie (Attendant, Messenger), Joseph Sfair (Angus, Apparition King 8), Janelle Soulliere (Attendant), David Sterritt (Ross, Apparition King 3), Kendall Talbot (Attendant).
Production Team:
Paul Mason Barnes (Director), Courtney Rasor (Stage Manager), Sarah Drum (Asst. Stage Manager & Asst. Technical Director), Max Amitin (Scenic Design), Donna Buckley (Costume Designer), Samuel Byers (Lighting Design), Leazah Behrens (Technical Director), Heather DeFauw (Sound Designer), Kimbra Essex (Properties Master), Alec Barbour (Fight Choreography & Consultant), David Sterritt (Fight Choreography & Consultant), Mick Keathley (Master Electrician), Maxwell Bolton (Publicity Manager).
About the Hilberry Theatre Company
Wayne State University's Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance serves students as a nexus of performance, production, and research in the fields of dance, theatre, and performance studies. It provides a wide choice of degree programs that allow students the flexibility to study these disciplines broadly or to concentrate more specifically in performance, design, or management. The Hilberry Theatre hosts a professional theatre company that is staffed by graduate students and runs on a rotating repertory schedule. Each academic year, about forty graduate students receive assistantships to work for the Hilberry Theatre and study for advanced degrees. The company performs and produces an annual season of six plays, including high school matinees for nearly 6,000 students. For box office hours and information on performances, tickets, group discounts, and corporate packages, visit the theatre's website at Hilberry.com. Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 29,000 students.
Macbeth
By William Shakespeare
Calendar Information:
Wednesday 2 p.m. September 25 (Postshow Talkback)
Thursday 8 p.m. September 26 (Preshow Discussion), October 3, October 10
Friday 8 p.m. September 20 (Opening Night), September 27, October 4, October 11
Saturday 2 p.m. September 21, October 5
Saturday 8 p.m. October 5, October 12, September 21, September 28
Additional Student Matinee performances
Tuesday 10 a.m. October 1, 8, 29, November 19, February 4, 25, March 4, 25.