FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training to Present MACBETH

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training continues its 2015-16 season with Shakespeare's iconic MACBETH. An electrifyingly potent tale rife with passion, betrayal, and shadows of the supernatural, MACBETH is esteemed worldwide as a masterpiece of linguistic genius and dramatic brilliance. Since 1849 it has had nearly 50 Broadway runs and over 10 adaptations for film and television in the U.S. and around the world. It has been adapted into numerous books, has had dozens of performances on the radio, and has influenced artistic pieces by Henry Fuseli, Johann Zoffany, and others. Directed by Shakespeare expert Jonathan Epstein, MACBETH previews in the Cook Theatre at the FSU Center for Performing Arts on Tuesday, February 23 at 7:30pm with a special "Pay What You Can Performance," officially opens on Wednesday, February 24 at 7:30pm, and runs through Sunday, March 13.

The revered Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, returns from war as a hero in the service of his king. Upon his arrival home, three witches intercept him to deliver a mysterious prophesy, declaring him the future King. The promise of power births a deep desire for the throne, and when his wife, the Lady Macbeth, hears of his foretold fortune, she spurs him to take action. Rampant ambition and desperate pride turn hero to tyrant-and reveal the twisted affects that evil can have on a man's mind in what is perhaps the most renowned tragedy ever to overtake the stage.

"This seems to me Shakespeare's most haunting play," said director Jonathan Epstein. "In no other play do we experience such suspense and at the same time such certainty about what must happen. In no other play is the bond between the couple at the center of it so visceral, so sensual, so complex or so destructive. It is a dark and fatal world illuminated by flashes of brilliant, deathless imagery."

A seasoned Shakespeare actor, director and teacher, Epstein has more than 25 years of experience working with Massachusetts' Shakespeare & Company, as well as numerous roles on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in London's West End. He currently teaches Shakespeare acting technique to the second-year class of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory.

Instead of re-setting MACBETH in a distinctive place or time period, Epstein implements a design that allows the audience members' imaginations to take over and create their own worlds. Several movable, opaque screens combined with various lighting affects establish the setting, and post-apocalyptic-inspired costumes stimulate the imagination, shaping a unique experience for each audience member.

"We created a survivalist world that is as rough, rustic, and textural as the story itself," said costume designer Becki Stafford.

"MACBETH is one of the great plays in the Western Canon, and it is a spectacular opportunity for our entire second year class to showcase its talents," said Greg Leaming, Director of the Conservatory. "All 12 second-years will be taking part in what promises to be thrilling night of theatre."