• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

Photo

Shakespeare UCLA will be performing its rendition of the classic tragedy “Macbeth” in

Photo

Mike Nicholas plays the title character in Shakespeare UCLA’s production of “Macbeth.

For many, Shakespeare connotes a daunting, confusing dive into humanity’s deep-seated emotions and desires. But an upcoming student-run production of “Macbeth” will interpret such connotations quite unconventionally.

Now in its fourth year, the student group Shakespeare UCLA has been presenting full-length Shakespeare productions since its inception. Shakespeare UCLA provides students who are interested in literature and theater, but who are not students in the theater department, an opportunity to participate in annual performances.

This year the group presents its first tragedy, “Macbeth,” the classic Shakespeare play of ambition, power, violence and masculinity. The cast is directed by Ben Prusiner, a third-year English student who said he has been entranced with “Macbeth” since high school.

“The violent, crazy Macbeth expresses himself in beautiful language seemingly unfit for a psychopath,” Prusiner said.

The director’s obsession with Shakespeare’s language in this tragedy is no surprise considering his course of study. And this passion for language has fostered his version to extend beyond a conventional reading of the text. His vision is further enriched through a multifaceted cast of diverse ages, educational interests and backgrounds.

Morgan Early, a third-year psychology student who plays Lady Macbeth, worked with Shakespeare UCLA last year in its production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

In Early’s experience, interacting with the diverse group of students is inspirational and motivating to those involved with the project. With their differing levels of experience, each member brings a separate goal, perception and stance to the project, and their various acting styles stemming from these broaden the actors’ repertoire, she said.

Diversity becomes the common ground for the basis of an intricately joined production, she said.

“Working with a diverse cast you learn so much more,” Early said. “The play becomes the thing you have in common.”

Because of the director’s English literature background, the cast gained a greater understanding of the play through the dissection and study of words. Throughout the rehearsal process there was a tremendous amount of textual analysis which forced the interpretation of Macbeth to traverse to a deeper level of emotional, psychological and physical meaning.

“Text is everything,” Prusiner said. “Shakespeare’s direction is evident in the decoding of the imagery and verbiage.”

Along with this textual approach, the actors helped the director to develop a new theatrical approach.

“Lady Macbeth is labeled a villain,” Early said, “but, by dissecting the words, you find a very human level (to her character).”

Portraying the humanity of Shakespeare’s characters is one of the director’s goals. Prusiner wanted to reinforce the passion, drive and purpose of the perpetrators in their quest for power and their ultimate loss of humanity. The tragedy is based in the archetypal qualities that humans possess and sometimes exhibit to violent ends. Along with this quest, comes the question of gender, and Prusiner examines the play with the issue of gender in the forefront.

“The play challenges gender stereotypes,” said Mike Nicholas, a first-year theater student who plays the title role of Macbeth. “The characters in the play define themselves by their sex, but act unaccordingly to claim their power.”

Characters who have typically been male in classical versions of “Macbeth” are now female. Banquo, the rival of Macbeth in military power and his ultimate obstacle, is female in Shakespeare UCLA’s production. Also, many lords have been transformed into ladies, and the witches, originally three women, are now two women and one man.

“I am experimenting with gender dynamics,” Prusiner said. “I want the audience to question whether these distinctions have any meaning.”

By blurring gender lines, Prusiner reinvents “Macbeth” as a commentary not only on humanity, but on gender’s influences upon humanity.

“Shakespeare pushes his characters to do things that tear them away from humanity – and whether they are male or female, at a certain point those distinctions become irrelevant and invisible,” Prusiner said. “Regardless of gender, all the characters are human, and therefore exist on the same level.”

With the textual focus driving direction and diverse backgrounds driving acting, “Macbeth” embraces a fresh exhibition of Shakespeare. Ultimately, the diversity of the players brings new diversity to the play’s message, pushing theater and gender borders.

“Shakespeare has solid constraints but is malleable at the same time,” Early said. “And this is what (Prusiner) tampers with to create a new interpretation of the bold poet’s work.”

Shakespeare UCLA will present free showings of “Macbeth” in the Northwest Auditorium today at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m.