The tale of the ambitious military hero Macbeth’s rise and desire for more power despite the downside are explored and not just fitting for election season, but includes a bit of Halloween mystery and spooky themes as well. It was last season’s production of another classic play with a tragic theme that led to “Macbeth” according to Theresa Lauricella, the show’s producer and director.
“The decision to stage ‘Macbeth’ came directly from the teachers after seeing ‘The Crucible’ last fall,” she said. “It is incredibly exciting that Shakespeare’s plays resonate with us 400 years later. However, in rehearsals, we stayed close to the historical time period, explored Elizabethan and Jacobean history and how the stage served as a means to leverage the current events to the masses similar to how social media does for us today.”
The cast includes 20 actors from Clark State, Youth Arts Ambassadors and the community, all of whom Lauricella said have been delightful to work with.
Ben Guenther will make his debut with the Theatre Arts Program playing Macbeth. He comes from a film background, which Lauricella said works well for the character, who has so many soliloquies.
“Macbeth thinks out loud a great deal in this play and Ben does a wonderful job conveying the character’s thoughts,” she said. “Zoie Ramirez, who plays Lady Macbeth, teaches ‘Macbeth’ to high school students, and she knows the play well. Her portrayal of ambitious Lady Macbeth is as earnest and heartfelt as the character is cunning and meticulous.”
Credit: Joe Lauricella
Credit: Joe Lauricella
One of these production’s features is a wide range of talent including the collaboration between the Clark State Theatre Arts Program and Youth Arts Ambassadors that is ideal for both groups, Lauricella said, and the Ambassadors bring with them a great deal of theatre experience that shows in their rehearsal process.
Tickets for each performance cost $15 each for adults and $12 for students and seniors. For more information, go to https://pac.clarkstate.edu/shows/2024-2025/.
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