Centenary Theatre Program presents “MAC BETH,” modern take on Shakespeare tale, March 2-5
SHREVEPORT, LA — The Centenary Theatre Program (CTP) opens the second half of its 2022-2023 season in March with Erica Schmidt’s MAC BETH, a modern recontextualization of Shakespeare’s classic Macbeth. MAC BETH, directed by Charity Schubert, will be performed at Centenary’s Marjorie Lyons Playhouse on March 2, 3, and 4, at 7:30 p.m. and March 5 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are available at centenary.edu/mlptickets.
Schmidt’s one-act MAC BETH follows seven teenage girls who immerse and ultimately lose themselves in a “DIY” retelling of Shakespeare’s bloody tale. A review from BroadwayWorld.com called MAC BETH, “a…gritty adaptation that will leave you speechless,” praising the play’s ability to, “…take the classic tale of ambition and lust for power, mix it with an ensemble of seven young women with dark imaginations, and add toxic manipulations…We are reminded how good men, or in this case good girls, are capable of appalling things.”
Director Charity Schubert is a Centenary alumna whose professional acting career has taken her to both regional and New York City stages as well as the big screen, including an appearance as a flight attendant in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.
“The rehearsal process for MAC BETH has been intense, challenging, and fun,” explained Schubert. “Our cast developed a strong bond from the very beginning and has been incredibly supportive of one another and open to exploration this entire time. I have been surprised by how willing the cast has been to take risks and really push themselves for this production. It is a physically and emotionally demanding show with high stakes within the play and in real life for the performers. I think the cast has been surprised by how much of themselves I have asked them to bring to their characters and how much input and collaboration I have sought from them during the rehearsal process.”
MAC BETH’s cast of CTP students includes Sabrina Scott as Macbeth, Channing Hall as Lady Macbeth, Emma Greer as Banquo/Seyton, and Hailey Chiasson as MacDuff. Theresa Johnson, Cassidy Jones, and Zaviera Brown round out the cast as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Witch, respectively.
The production also features fight choreography by Tessa Anderson, scenic, lighting, and costume design by CTP professor Don Hooper, and technical direction from Alan Berry.
“The audience should expect to leave their expectations at the lobby doors,” said Schubert. “Erica Schmidt's text uses Shakespeare’s language for the vast majority of the show, but this production will look, sound, and feel unlike any other iteration of the classic tragedy they may have seen before. The audience may be challenged by the play-within-a-play structure and seeing female characters taking on such aggressive, violent, and traditionally masculine roles. The audience may also be surprised by the amount of humor that can be found in a tragedy and by many of the technical theater effects and design elements. The audience is in for a wild ride.”
Tickets for MAC BETH are $20 for adults, $15 for senior/military patrons, and $10 for students with ID. Tickets are free for Centenary College students, faculty, and staff. Visit centenary.edu/mlptickets for more information and to purchase tickets.