BY JAMES KERSHAW
Just as the title states, November's production of William
Shakespeare's Macbeth by Thorneloe Theatre Arts will be unlike
any other Macbeth.
Director Valerie Senyk breaks the conventional interpretation,
turning this well-known classic into a post-modern masterpiece.
The audience will be in for a treat, for, along with the action
on stage, there will be multimedia display screens at each side
of the stage, thus adding that modern twist desired by Senyk.
Most of the scenes will be set on stage while others will be
interspersed on screen.
This particular production of the Scottish play is, in some
ways, geared toward people who do not usually visit the theatre
on a regular basis.
University and college students, for example, will give a
thumbs up to the daring sexuality in Senyk's
interpretation.
Throughout the production, the audience will witness a sexually obsessed Macbeth, who cannot resist a woman's advances and who lusts for ultimate power - to become king of Scotland.
Do not expect his wife, Lady Macbeth, to be the voice of
reason. She too cannot refuse the offering of sexual activity
nor the idea of being royalty in Scotland. Both are persuaded
by the highly sensual three witches and their tempting
prophecies.
"It's a very hot production", says director Senyk.
The cast is headlined by Luke Norton, who is no stranger to
Shakespeare. He played Horatio in Thorneloe's production of
Hamlet last fall.
"It has been hard to find the ways to connect the character to
myself and to my own emotions. Fortunately, it is also an
incredible amount of fun to play him, which may say something
odd about me," he said.
Norton added that he believes the modernization of this classic
will have the audience captivated.
"We don't just say lines in this play; we get emotional and
convey the words with action."
Tickets are $10 for adults, and $6 for students and seniors and
are available at following locations: Jett Landry Music, Black
Cat Too, Laurentian University Bookstore and the Thorneloe
office. The play runs from Nov. 17 until Nov. 25, Wednesday
through Saturday nights at 8 pm and Sunday afternoon, Nov. 19
at 2 pm.
James Kershaw is a first year theatre student at Thorneloe University.