"Macbeth" Falls Prey to the Cursed Bombogenesis

Due to the inclement weather of Winter Storm Grayson that cancelled school last week, the Theater Ensemble Class’ production of Shakespeare on a Shoestring: Macbeth was unfortunately cancelled also.

Below please read the program, and browse photos taken during their final dress rehearsal.

Hopkins Drama 2017-18 Presents
The Ensemble Theater Production Class’
Shakespeare on a Shoestring: Macbeth

Adapted & Directed by Michael Calderone

The Company
First Witch/Lady MacDuff - Hannah Szabo ‘21
Second Witch/Porter - Drew Slager ‘21
Third Witch/Malcolm - Grace Rhatigan ‘21
Macbeth - Brooklynn Brockenberry ‘21
Lady Macbeth - Graley Turner ‘20
Banquo/Doctor - Ranease Brown ‘21
MacDuff/Sergeant - Sara Taylor ‘20
King Duncan/Young MacDuff - Craigin Maloney ‘21
Ross/Hecate - Noah Stein ‘21
Lennox/Maid - Victoria Ye ‘21
Percussionist - Robert Eberle

Shakespeare on a Shoestring Notes
Three witches plan to meet after a great Scottish battle where King Duncan fought against the Norwegian King and the Scottish traitor, MacDonwald. A wounded sergeant relates to Duncan how the Generals Macbeth and Banquo vanquished both the Norwegian and the traitor. Duncan decides to award Macbeth with the traitor’s former title making him the Thane, or Lord, of Cawdor.

Upon returning from battle, Macbeth and Banquo happen upon the three witches who address Macbeth with his new title before he is even aware of the king’s pronouncement. The witches also predict that while Macbeth will one day be king, Banquo will be the father of kings thereafter. After the witches disappear into thin air, a messenger approaches with shocking news of Macbeth’s promotion.

Macbeth sends a letter to his wife, Lady Macbeth, relating the witches’ prophecy and that the king will be lodging at their castle. Lady Macbeth decides that she will take this opportunity to fulfill the witches’ prophecy by killing King Duncan in his sleep. After some doubt, Macbeth agrees and kills the king but forgets to leave the daggers with the king’s sleeping guards. Lady Macbeth returns the blades to incriminate the guards getting blood on her hands in the process.

Two noblemen, MacDuff and Lennox, awaken the castle early in the morning to call upon the king who they find murdered. In a false appearance of rage against the king’s guards, Macbeth kills them in effect silencing them. The king’s sons, the Princes Malcolm and Donalbain, fearing for their lives flee to England and Ireland but their flight casts suspicion on them. Macbeth seizes power and is crowned the King of Scotland.

How many people must Macbeth and Lady Macbeth kill to secure their hold on the throne; and how will they handle the guilt of so much blood? To quote another Shakespearean play, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”

Theater Ensemble Production Class
The Theater Ensemble Production Class, a.k.a. Shoestring, is the only Drama Department class offering that develops, rehearses and performs a production during the day and over a semester making it ideal for students who want to perform in an play but have busy after school schedules.

The class is only open to 9th and 10th graders and is one of the three drama offerings a Freshman at Hopkins can take along with Improvisational Acting and Theater Workshop. Current 8th and 9th grade students who are interested in acting should consider adding Theater Ensemble Production Class to their fall 2018 schedule!

Past productions of the Ensemble Theater Production Class’ Shakespeare on a Shoestring shows include A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Comedy of Errors and Cymbeline. Cymbeline had its international premiere this past August at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scotland and will be printed later this month at Theatrefolk Publishing for other schools to produce!

Special Thanks Go To…
Clan Calderone, Hope Hartup, Robert Smith, HDA students, Jemma Williams Nussbaum, and anyone else we may have overlooked.

Mark your calendar for the HDA winter musical: HEATHERS March 1st - 4th

Photos by Peter Mahakian available at trecsports@snet.net