Cast members in York High School's upcoming performance of "Macbeth" rehearse a scene in this one-act adaptation set to premiere in town this month.
Photos by Jennifer L. Saunders
Gelsey Hubbard as Lady Macbeth and Roy Gauthier as Macbeth share a strained moment at a banquet in the upcoming York High School production of Macbeth. In the background is Sara Demos, one of three witches who haunt Macbeth throughout the play.
Photo by Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK - A dozen York High School students are hard at work every day after school on a decidedly new take on one of William Shakespeare's most famous tragedies, set to have its premiere at York High School next week.
The one-act version of "Macbeth," adapted by Michael Crockett and directed by Lisa Stahoplos, incorporates ensemble acting and dance with vivid visual and sound design - and even swordplay.
For those who are familiar with the play in its long form, all the meat of this classic story is still there.
"In adapting the play as a one-act, I wanted to trim the running time to an hour or less and still preserve the main plot and themes - and keep those lines that everyone will be expecting," Crockett explained. "This, along with knowing that we would most likely have a small cast with which to work, led to the most important aspect of our production: the role of the witches in the story."
The three witches speak some of the most famous lines in the play in any version, but in the York High School adaptation their roles are much larger than in the original.
"They show up as gentlewomen, servants and even murderers," Crockett explained.
And that, both Crockett and Stathoplos explained, leaves the audience to wonder how much of Macbeth's path is determined by free will or by fate - or as the result of manipulation by the witches.
Thom Freitag, who plays the role of Banquo and, later, Banquo's ghost, said he believes audiences will find Crockett's adaptation easier to understand than the original.
"It takes a unique look at it," added Jacqui Desmond, who plays Malcolm as well as a member of the Witches' Coven. "The witches, for example, are essential characters."
Crockett's visual design also has received rave reviews from Stathoplos and the cast. The set includes white columns and natural elements in a minimalist design that employs the school's new scrim - fabric which allows light to pass through and expose action through a veil - to create a background that is both striking in appearance for audience members and utilitarian for the production.
Stathoplos explained that the one-act play itself continues to develop in the rehearsal process, with the incorporation of music and sound that includes vocal elements as well as the use of melodic guitar, percussion and even an antique stringed instrument known as a ukelin.
The use of sound, Stathoplos explained, builds the tension throughout the play.
The students involved, taking some time at the start of a recent rehearsal, said they are learning a lot through the experience.
Both Desmond and Sara Demos, who plays one of the three witches, agreed the production has provided the opportunity to really work on finding character depth in their acting.
For Ray Gauthier, who plays Macbeth, being a part of this production marks a departure from his usual role on the athletic field.
"I've liked putting personalities with the faces I've seen on stage," he said of his fellow York High School actors, likening participating in the production to "learning a new trade."
The cast also includes Jason Roy as Duncan, Taylor Bradbury and Kat Milinazzo as the other two witches, Ashley Burbank as Lennox, Abbie Duquette as Banquo's son, Allison Gilmer as Ross, Jordan Perkins as Macduff and Gelsey Hubbard as Lady Macbeth. Several of the cast members play multiple roles, and the three witches appear - in one form or another - in every scene.
York High School student Douglas Maclellan is the production's assistant stage manager, and artistic set pieces have been designed by Isabella Rotman and Tim McTaggert.
The York High School production of "Macbeth," just like the full-length version, is not for the faint of heart and is considered one of the bard's most darkly haunting works.
The play will be performed for York High School students and staff on May 7 and continue with public performances in the York High School Auditorium on May 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the door and are $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and students.
